Less than a year for the 2026 World Cup, jointly headquartered by the United States, Canada and Mexico, the call of the most important Brazilian player of the last decade divides the country. According to a Datafolha survey, 48% of the population argues that Italian Carlo Ancelotti Leve Neymar, 33, for what his fourth World Cup would be.
On the other hand, 41% reject the call, or four out of ten Brazilians. Of the total, 7% declare themselves indifferent and 3% could not answer.
Considering the margin of error of two percentage points to more or less, the difference between the two groups could be 3 points (46% in favor and 43% against).
Datafolha heard 2,004 people throughout Brazil, 16 years or older, distributed in 136 municipalities. The survey was conducted on June 10 and 11, 2025.
The research also shows that there are significant differences on the subject depending on the age of the fans.
The athlete is widely supported by the younger ones and has greater rejection among the elders.
Among those aged 16 to 24, 62% are in favor of calling the star, 27% are against, 8% are indifferent and 3% do not know. He also has greater support within the track of which he himself is part of 25 to 34 years, with 50% in favor and 38% against.
The scenario begins to change in the following tracks. There is a technical draw among those aged 35 to 44, considering the margin of error of up to five percentage points more or less in the age clipping. In this scenario, 47% are in favor and 44% are against.
It is also possible to point out a technical draw in the next stratum, from 45 to 59 years old, but for the first time the portion of those who are contrary to the call is numerically higher, with 48% against and 41% in favor.
Although there is no historical series to indicate which trend has evolved in recent years, the trajectory of the star gives some clues about the mood of Brazilians in relation to the player, who returned to play in the country earlier this year, by Santos.
The return to Brazil was an attempt to find its best form and prepare for the 2026 World Cup after almost 12 years acting abroad. In the period, he lived great moments in Barcelona, ups and downs at Paris Saint-Germain and the worst phase of his career at Al Hilal. At the Saudi club, he played only seven matches in a year and a half, suffered the most serious injury of his career and was discarded from the cast.
After being received in the arms of the Santos fans, in a big party in Vila Belmiro, Neymar lives again a frustrating moment. He made only 12 games for Santos, scored three goals and was shot down for new injuries.
Meanwhile, he maintained a bustling life off the pitch, with parties and participation in various events, such as the matches of his team at Kings League, an event that mixes football and entertainment.
Out of shape, he ended up out of Carlo Ancelotti’s list for the first games of the new Brazilian coach, earlier this month, when Brazil drew with Ecuador (0-0) and beat Paraguay (1-0), results that sealed the classification for the 2026 World Cup.
Although the Italian said the national team’s doors are open to the star – a 79 goals of the national team’s history of the national team – he should only have a new chance when he is in full condition. His last game with the yellow shirt was in October 2023, against Uruguay, for the qualifiers.
Neymar played his first World Cup in 2014, in the edition held in Brazil, when he was 22 years old. At the time, he already defended Barcelona after building a victorious career for Santos.
His presence in that World Cup was indisputable. At the time, it was widely appointed as the main athlete in the country in activity. The label confirmed the projection of his career that accompanied him since 2010, when his absence in the list of summons for the Cup in South Africa caused criticism of the squad formed by coach Dunga, eliminated in the quarterfinals of that edition.
The trajectory of the star in the 2014 World Cup, however, caused even greater trauma for the fans of Brazil. In the quarterfinals, the striker suffered a fracture in the third lumbar vertebra after bringing a harsh entrance of the Colombian Juan Zúñiga and had to be cut from the cast led by Luiz Filipe Scolari.
Without its 10th shirt, Brazil was beaten by Germany in the next phase, 7-1, in the largest vexation in the history of the Brazilian team. In the dispute of third place, still lost to the Netherlands, 3-0.
At the 2018 World Cup, Neymar arrived in a different context. Contrary to its full physical form in 2014, the star landed in Russia shortly after recovering from a right foot injury and was not 100% physically for the tournament.
Even so, he was a starter and played for 90 minutes in the five games of Brazil in the competition, scored two goals and gave assistance. His participation, however, is more remembered for the falls on the lawn, which earned him the reputation of “falls” and made him the target of a series of memes. The Brazilian team fell in the quarterfinals of that edition, against Belgium.
The 2022 World Cup at Qatar had everything to be the star’s redemption. In a good phase, free of injuries and willing to prove his value, he had the ideal scenario to make a big show in the World Cup that, at 30, he said he was the last of his career.
After a year without serious physical problems, the fate wanted to debut a new injury to shake the athlete. This time, in the ligaments of the right ankle, with a bone edema. After the duel with Serbia, he was out of games against Switzerland and Cameroon in the group stage.
Back to the team in the round of 16, he participated in the rout over South Korea, 4-1. Following, he had even more important performance against Croatia in the Wednesdays. After a 0-0 in normal time, he placed Brazil ahead in the first half of the extension, but the team then directed by Tite gave the tie four minutes from the end of the second stage and lost the penalty shootout.
Neymar was scheduled to hit the fifth penalty to Brazil, but Croatia defined the 4-2 before shirt 10 had her chance.
