[Rubrica sui Mondiali di calcio]Quarterfinals of the World Cup in Qatar, Brazil-Croatia. Neymar scored the first goal in the first half of the extension, but after all, “Seleson” was defeated at the end of the penalty shootout. Will Neymar, who said: “This tournament will be the last”, be able to get back on his feet?
From heaven to hell
It was to be a night that would change everything for Neymar and cement his “legacy”.
Over the years he has been compared to great legends. But he didn’t stand side by side with it. “Something is missing,” critics say. Everyone knows what it is. Because they’re defined by their trophies, not just their talent and goals. For the Brazilians it is the World Cup. Legends have won the trophy at least once. But Neymar is not close yet.
At that moment that night when we went through the Croatian defenders and put the ball in the net, everyone was like, ‘This is what we’ve been waiting for! It was a career-defining moment, the moment when the “Seleção” won the golden trophy that had eluded them for 20 years. In addition to the legendary Pelé’s 77 goals, it was Neymar’s time to consolidate the legacy he had been waiting for at the World Cup.
But everything went crazy within minutes. Things progressed so rapidly and so brutally that Neymar, who came so close to becoming a legend, shed uncontrollable tears. Has anyone ever been pushed from heaven to hell like this? How can we define his “legacy” as history radically changes?
■ Pain
(C) Getty Images
About 20 minutes from becoming a national hero to claiming a big Croatian victory. How cruel can this sport be?
After Croatia’s victory was confirmed, Neymar’s tears didn’t stop. I couldn’t get up for a while, and after a while I started walking. Even his teammates, who cheered when he scored a spectacular goal, could not console him.
This pain, of course, is shared by all Brazilians. But there are pains that only he feels. It is he who pursues the legend. Every day he continues to fight against the legends. That is why defeat this time is accompanied by new pain.
Others are easy to remember. Injury at the 2014 World Cup, disqualification from the 2015 Copa America. he He missed the 2018 World Cup, he missed the 2019 Copa America …
But this time the pain will be the worst ever.
It was destined to be a legendary story. He stood side by side with Pele, who was battling the disease, watching. No Brazilian has scored more goals than him. Everyone can agree on this. That goal was beautiful.
But that goal woke up a sleeping lion. And conversely, the Brazilian players seemed to have fallen asleep. Catching up, they were horrified by Croatia’s onslaught, making way for a penalty shoot-out and eventually succumbing.
Neymar has never taken a penalty kick. This tragedy is even more heartbreaking. All I could do was watch Rodrigo and Marquinhos fail. The man representing Brazil could only feel helpless to save the night.
And each of those penalty misses, fair or unfair, is engraved in his mind. His international “legacy” is complex and he says he may not have much of a chance to repair it.
“I think that[la Coppa del Mondo in Qatar]it will be the last World Cup,” he said in a DAZN documentary last year. “I don’t know if I still have the strength to face football, so I think it’s the last time. I’ll do anything.”
However, it didn’t come true. Instead there are many tears, just like in 2014 when he didn’t win a trophy at home. After the game he said:
“I’m not going to close the door on the national team, but I don’t have a 100% guarantee of going back. I need to think a little more about what’s right for me and for the national team.”
■ Is it the last tournament or…
(C) Getty Images
“Is this a legend?”
His place in football is judged by fans and critics. Goals, beauty, playfulness, titles, diving, simulations, transfer to PSG, tears, it’s all complicated. Few modern stars are more controversial than Neymar. That won’t change anytime soon.
With the World Cup trophy in hand, you couldn’t deny it. This may have been his best chance. This ‘Seleçon’ was more talented than ever in every position. But football is not that easy. Any giant can fall.
In the end, her tears never stopped. When he hugged Ivan Perisic’s son who ran to him and comforted him, he acted bravely, but even after that he couldn’t control his gushing about him and disappeared into the dark underground tunnel.
Will Neymar have the strength, the will, to try again? Is it right that countries all over the world ask him, not just Brazil?
We’ll see if he can get back up for the final step, the last chance to change the narrative. But if this is the last, what a sad farewell.
Interview and text: Ryan Tolmich
