Florida: Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior, simply known as Neymar Junior among the fans, made his first appearance in the FIFA World Cup 2026, as he returned for Brazil’s last Group A game against Scotland in the tournament on Wednesday.
The 34-year-old star footballer entered the field in the 76th minute as a substitute for Matheus Cunha. He was forced to miss the first two games of Brazil against Morocco and Haiti due to a right calf injury.
The fans at the Hard Rock Stadium in Florida erupted in joy after the entry of Neymar, whose participation in the game was confirmed by the team’s head coach Carlo Ancelotti on Tuesday. “He is available. He trained very well this week… He is fit and able, ready to play. We are very happy that he is back. He is a high-quality player,” Ancelotti had said.
Neymar immediately made an impact in the game, even as he didn’t score a goal. But by appearing in the game against Scotland, the Brazilian star has joined Pelé in an elite list. He has now become the fourth Brazilian to participate in four different FIFA World Cups: 2014 in Brazil, 2018 in Russia, 2022 in Qatar and the 2026th edition.
