Cafu hails Neymar in interview: he's bigger than Messi | OneFootball

Cafu hails Neymar in interview: he's bigger than Messi | OneFootball

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·19 de marzo de 2026

Cafu hails Neymar in interview: he's bigger than Messi

Imagen del artículo:Cafu hails Neymar in interview: he's bigger than Messi

Captain of the Brazilian National Team during their last World Cup title, Cafu praised Neymar in an interview with Podpah this Wednesday (17).

The former player compared the Santos forward to Lionel Messi and placed the Brazilian above him.


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"In my view, Neymar is greater than Messi," he declared.

On the other hand, Cafu was cautious when commenting on the possibility of Carlo Ancelotti including Neymar in the squad for the World Cup.

"He needs to play, he needs to train. Ancelotti is a very honest guy, he doesn't mince words," he assessed.

Asked if he would take the Santos star to the competition in the middle of the year, the 1994 and 2002 world champion indicated that he prefers to wait for the coming weeks.

"If he's doing well, he fits into any national team in the world. That's a fact. There's no debate about Neymar when he's at his best," he said.

For Cafu, being at his best means not only stepping onto the field, but also standing out with good plays.

When evaluating Neymar's time with the National Team, the former player lamented the lack of a "partner" to help him shine.

"Neymar, for 15 years, didn't have anyone at his level to share the responsibility," he pointed out.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.


📸 Ton Molina - 2026 Getty Images

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