Neymar has described his return to the Brazil national team as emotional and nerve-racking after making his first appearance for the Seleção in 981 days during their 3-0 World Cup victory over Scotland.
The Santos forward came off the bench in the second half at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami to end a long absence from international football caused by a serious knee injury suffered in October 2023.
Neymar had not played for Brazil since rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus in his left knee during a match against Uruguay.
The 34-year-old admitted he was overwhelmed by emotion before stepping onto the pitch.
“My heart was racing, very nervous… but happy! Proud, everything went well,” Neymar said after the match.
Brazil had already secured control of the game before Neymar’s introduction, but his appearance was one of the major talking points as Carlo Ancelotti’s side sealed top spot in Group C and qualification for the Round of 32.
Reflecting on the road back, Neymar said the period away from the national team had been difficult, even though he worked hard to regain fitness.
“I’m very happy to be wearing the national team jersey again after three years. I’m physically well, thank God. It was tough being sidelined for those days, but I wasn’t completely inactive. I’ve been training hard for 25 days to be in good shape for the games. So I’m very happy, very pleased,” he said.
He added that the tears seen after the final whistle were the result of everything he had gone through during his recovery.
“It was a mix of emotions when I came on. It was a long time away from this jersey, away from the national team, but thank God everything worked out and I managed to come back.”
Neymar also paid tribute to his family for their support throughout the difficult period, saying they understood the struggles behind his return.
“They know everything I went through, all the struggles I had to be here today, and our goal was to represent the national team, to be playing again. It’s very emotional to see them there, thrilled and happy with my return,” he said.
Brazil’s win over Scotland ensured they finished top of Group C and moved into the knockout stage with momentum.
“Like I said, I’m very happy and now it’s knockout, keep winning to achieve our final objective,” Neymar said.
