Flamengo legend on Neymar’s World Cup chances: “If he has…” | OneFootball

Coach Carlo Ancelotti confirmed Flamengo’s Danilo will be at the World Cup

As the World Cup approaches, the football world is increasingly debating whether Neymar should go to the tournament or not. With that in mind, Zico, an idol of Flamengo and the Brazilian National Team, emphasized the need for a run of matches in order to call up Santos’ number 10.

“As for Neymar, it depends only on him (going to the World Cup). He has to play. If he has consistent playing time, I think any coach would want to have a player of his level,” Zico said in an interview with the LeoDias portal.

But does Neymar have the run of matches Zico wants to see?

Santos have played 22 matches so far this season, but they have only had their number 10 available on eight occasions. The star’s longest run on the pitch, however, was three matches in 2026. Still, the team that wins the tournament will need to play eight matches to become world champion.

Will any Flamengo player play in the World Cup?

The Most Beloved is packed with national-team players. For Brazil, for example, Danilo’s spot is all but secured, as the coach has already said. Besides the defender, there is also a chance that Alex Sandro, Lucas Paquetá, Léo Ortiz and Léo Pereira could wear the Yellow Jersey.

What is Flamengo’s next match?

The next chance for the rubro-negros to catch Ancelotti’s attention comes this Thursday (16). On that occasion, the Most Beloved host Independiente Medellín (COL) at the Maracanã. Kickoff is at 9:30 p.m. (Brasília time) in the second round of Group A of the Libertadores.

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