Veteran attacker Neymar Jr is finally fit enough to play 90 minutes of football ahead of Brazil's Round of 16 clash against Norway, coach Carlo Ancelotti confirmed.
Neymar, 34, was becoming deeply frustrated by his limited role in the FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign following another setback. The experienced campaigner was certain that he could have played a more significant role instead of being used as a late substitute.
The former Barcelona and PSG attacker's campaign was derailed after he suffered a calf injury which ruled him out of the group stages of the tournament completely. Their all-time highest goalscorer being fit enough to play 90 minutes of football is really good news for the Brazilians. However, the fitness update was just one part of Ancelotti's statement.
Will Brazil start Neymar?
The knockout stages of the World Cup mean football games can go up to 120 minutes and stoppages. Somebody being fit to play 90 minutes, thus, cannot be an ideal starter for such games. Also, the experienced Neymar could be a great asset for the team if things lead to a shootout.
Ancelotti's comments on the capability of senior players like Neymar to conserve energy and use it judiciously as the game progresses should also be read as his intention to use him later on in the match. "The important thing is that he is available to play. Yes. He can play 90 minutes...
"How long he will play, nobody knows. He has the experience to manage his minutes and the tempo of the game. When I feel the team needs him, I will put him on [the pitch]," the Brazil manager was quoted as telling Folha de S. Paulo by Fox Sports.
Don Carlo also used the opportunity to heap praise on the Santos star. Even when he is unhappy about his limited role, Neymar is focused on training properly and trying to make a point through work.
"He is not happy, but he is behaving very well.
History awaits Norway
"He is training very well. Neymar is highly respectful, amiable, and loved by his teammates. He is an important character in the squad because he possesses immense quality and is a very humble person. I am very happy with him. And obviously, he wants to play, just as he always has," the report quoted Ancelotti as saying.
"He doesn't directly say 'I want to play,' but that desire is quite clear. And it’s a positive thing. A player cannot be happy sitting on the bench," the Italian added.
Meanwhile, for Norway, the match also will be arguably the biggest in the Nordic nation's footballing history — at least since they last faced Brazil in that '98 tournament and earned a 2-1 victory in the group finale to book their place in the last 16. That version of Brazil entered as tournament favourites and rotated its squad after clinching its place in the knockouts.
This one is seen by some as eminently beatable, presenting Norway with a chance to make national history with a first quarter-final appearance.
