Lamine Yamal said Neymar marked his entire childhood and called the Brazil forward his idol, adding that he hopes the veteran can be at the Copa del Mundo. In comments reported by Telemundo, the Barcelona winger described Neymar as a player worth paying to see and said he would always be grateful for what he has given to football.
Yamal’s praise lands at a delicate moment for Neymar, who has not been called up since Carlo Ancelotti took over as Brazil coach and was also left out of the last FIFA international window. Ancelotti has recently opened the door to including him in his final 2026 World Cup list if he is healthy and able to help Brazil win the tournament.
That possibility remains tied to Neymar’s form, and that is still a work in progress. After recovering from injury, he has been trying to get back to his best with Santos FC, and his performances have improved over the last few weeks. For Brazil, that makes the question less about admiration than timing: whether one of the country’s defining stars can convince the new coach before the World Cup squad is set.
The debate around Neymar’s national-team future has become part football argument, part fitness test. Yamal’s remarks do not change Brazil’s selection plan, but they underline how much weight Neymar still carries nearly a decade into his career, even as he fights to reclaim the level that once made him unavoidable. His next steps at Santos FC will matter because they are the clearest evidence Ancelotti has said he wants before making a final call.
For now, Neymar’s path back to the Brazil team runs through the same place it always has: the pitch, the minutes and the form to match the name.
