Neymar’s likely return highlights key clash between Brazil and Scotland in Miami
A “Tartan Army” with joyful, boisterous Scottish fans has invaded South Florida.
And a sea of Brasileiros clad in their yellow, green and blue is ready to match or top that intensity.
It will be Samba vs. Kilts.
Two of the most energetic fanbases in this year’s FIFA World Cup are ready to descend upon Hard Rock Stadium (or Miami Stadium as it’s referred to during the tournament) on Wednesday in anticipation of the match between Brazil and Scotland at 6.
And while the party will certainly be happening for a few hours before kickoff, the biggest story on the field is the likely return of Brazilian star Neymar, who is expected to be fit to play his first game in this year’s World Cup and first for his home country since 2023.
Neymar, who has not played in any match since May 17th with Santos FC in Brazil due to a right calf injury, completed his first full training session with Team Brazil on Sunday.
Neymar, 34, is Brazil’s all-time leading scorer with 79 goals in 129 international matches — two ahead of the legendary Pelé. He has scored eight of those goals in World Cup matches.
“We’re all delighted to have him back, back in training and out on the pitch with the rest of us,” Brazil midfielder Lucas Paqueta told reporters after training on Sunday. “He’s a very important player for our national team; he has a wonderful history here and can still help us a great deal.”
Wednesday’s matchup figures to be one of the more crucial of the final wave of Group phase games.
Each side can clinch a spot in the knockout stage with a victory as Brazil sits with four points atop Group C and Scotland just behind them and Morocco (4 points), which is also looking to advance if it can beat Haiti (0 points) on Wednesday. Brazil can also clinch a spot with a draw, and can win the group if it wins the goal differential tiebreaker with Morocco in any scenario where the teams finish tied in points.
Scotland, which is in the World Cup for the first time since 1998, has never advanced to the knockout stage.
The teams have met five times since 1974, with Brazil winning four of those matches and one ending in a draw.
Neymar’s return couldn’t come at a better time for Brazil.
During its convincing 3-0 win over Haiti, which followed a 1-1 draw with Morocco, Brazil lost one of its top forwards when Raphinha sustained a hamstring injury. Reports surfaced later that Raphinha could end up leaving the team and not compete in the rest of the tournament.
“On Saturday, Raphinha underwent an imaging exam that confirmed a muscle injury in the back of his right thigh,” the Brazilian Football Confederation wrote in a statement released following last Saturday’s match. “The player will follow an intensive treatment protocol, monitored by the Brazilian national team’s medical staff, with the aim of facilitating his recovery and return to action as soon as possible.”
Brazil hopes Neymar’s return could help the side compensate for such a tough loss in the hopes of making a run at the title.
But there are still plenty of questions about the star’s durability after dealing with multiple injuries in recent years. Neymar sustained a severe knee injury in his last game playing for Brazil three years ago — a World Cup qualifier against Uruguay. He has scored six goals in 15 matches this year for Santos, which has been managing his playing time to prevent further injury.
“He’s performing at a very high level, and you could see the intensity in today’s training session,” Brazil’s Gabriel Martinelli said during a news conference Monday. “You could see how keen he is to be with us, and his quality is unquestionable.”
Brazil still has more World Cup championships than any other country with five, but it has not raised the trophy since 2002.
Except for a fourth-place finish in 2014, Brazil has not advanced beyond the quarterfinals since that 2002 triumph.
But Neymar’s return has stirred up excitement among many, and hope that he can lead Brazil back to the top.
“Neymar is a really important player for us. We hope he can play in the next game,” Brazil forward Vinicius Jr. said. “We’re really happy with the progress he’s made (recovering from his injury) and we hope he can come back and help us win the World Cup.”
