Kylian Mbappe believes the World Cup would not feel the same without his former teammate Neymar, and is backing him to be included in Brazil’s squad for the tournament.
Neymar, 34, has made headlines over the past few weeks following his omission from Carlo Ancelotti’s latest Brazil squad to face France and Croatia in international friendly matches this month.
Despite expressing desire to make a return to the national team after a while out, the former Barcelona winger was left out due to fitness-related concerns.
Several footballers have publicly shown their support for Brazil’s all-time top scorer, including French captain Mbappe, who is hopeful that his former PSG teammate will make the final squad.
“The World Cup is a competition of stars”, Mbappe said.
“All the stars are here, and in my book, Neymar is one of the biggest stars. I can’t imagine the World Cup without Neymar. But in the end, I can’t go against my former coach, [Carlo] Ancelotti. I have to respect his decision.”
Mbappe’s Real Madrid teammate Vinicius Junior, who will lead the line for Brazil in both friendly matches, also backed Neymar to make a sensational return ahead of the World Cup.
“The pressure on Ney is normal, I’m biased, Ney is one of my idols. He’s doing everything to be 100%, to return to the national team”, Vinicius stated.
“Now, the decision rests with the coach. But we players always want to play with the best.”
Meanwhile, Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti has made it clear that Neymar will need to be fully fit just to be considered for a place in the squad.
“I observe everything, I listen to everything. But my role is to make decisions. It’s normal that everyone can have an opinion, because football isn’t an exact science”, Ancelotti said.
“Everyone has their opinion, and I have to respect everyone’s opinion”, the former Real Madrid boss concluded.
Brazil and France square off later today at the iconic Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts, with both teams continuing their preparations for the upcoming World Cup.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
