Legendary Ronaldo Nazario says Neymar will be key for Brazil in World Cup

Legendary Ronaldo Nazario believes Neymar Jr. will be an important player for Brazil at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The all-time leading scorer for Brazil with 79 goals, Neymar, is keen to represent his country at the World Cup next year, which will be fourth of his career.

Keeping that in mind, he rejoined boyhood club Santos in January after ending his tie with Al Hilal.

Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti has repeatedly said that Neymar needs to be in good physical condition to be considered for selection.

Now, Brazilian football legend Ronaldo has said that Neymar can be an important player in the World Cup, and everybody wants him to be 100% fit before the event.

"Brazil can achieve anything with the players they have available," Ronaldo said.

"Neymar can be, and I believe he will be, an important player in the World Cup. Everyone wants Neymar at 100%. That's what Ancelotti wants, and what he wants too. In his mind, I see a strong desire to be at the World Cup and help the Brazilian team."

Neymar sustained an ACL injury during international duty with Brazil in October 2023 and spent much of his time on the sidelines at Al Hilal.

He was also excluded from Ancelotti’s first two team selections due to a thigh injury in April and a muscular problem last month.

Neymar's club side Santos have struggled so far during the ongoing season in Brazil's top flight, and their struggles have drawn criticism from the fans in recent weeks. However, Ronaldo believes the criticism of Neymar is not justified.

"I hope he's 100%," Ronaldo said of Neymar.

"He's coming off a serious injury, and what he's going through is very natural: readaptation, game rhythm. The criticism is exaggerated, but expectations for him are always high, and that's why they exist. But Neymar knows what needs to be done to be 100% at the World Cup."

Brazil has qualified for the FIFA World Cup despite finishing fifth in the standings with 28 points, experiencing the worst campaign of their World Cup qualifying history.