Videos: Neymar cried at Brazil's anthem, bizarre ref error ended his match | OneFootball

Neymar could not hold back his tears during Brazil’s national anthem before Santos’ tough 3-0 home defeat to Coritiba in another round of the Brasileirao, shortly before the announcement of the national team’s final squad for the 2026 World Cup. At the same time, an unusual refereeing mistake forced him out of the match.

When the Brazilian anthem played at Vila Belmiro, the Brazilian star broke down in tears, a situation that reflects his desire to be at the next World Cup (it would be his fourth appearance at the tournament, at age 34).

On the other hand, he was involved in another bizarre moment. In the 22nd minute of the second half, with his team trailing 2-0, the fourth official made a mistake and announced that he was being substituted by Robinho Jr., even though Ney was not the player who was supposed to come off. The star erupted at the referee and showed him the substitution sheet.

Neymar is on the preliminary list of 55 players for the World Cup. Italian manager Carlo Ancelotti is expected to submit the final squad this Monday, May 18. It remains unclear whether the former Barcelona player will make the national team.

So far this season, the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain player has featured in 15 matches across the Brasileirao, Paulista Championship, Copa do Brasil, and Copa Sudamericana, scoring six goals and providing three assists. He has not played for Brazil since October 17, 2023, against Uruguay in the World Cup qualifiers, the day he suffered a torn ACL.

The Italian coach had said that “if he gets back to 100%, which he is fully capable of doing, he will be able to play for the national team,” but that he must “show that he has the physical condition needed to play in the next World Cup.”

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