Brazil with dream goal and concerns about Neymar

The emotional state could hardly have been more different: Richarlison, who scored twice against Serbia in Brazil’s first game at the World Cup in Qatar, laughed and joked after being substituted with Dani Alves. Superstar Neymar, on the other hand, burst into tears. He had not scored a goal in the first World Cup game and could not, as announced, dedicate it to the recently voted out Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. But that wasn’t the reason Neymar cried.

Neymar injured again at a World Cup?

Rather, the striker from Paris St. Germain feared that the World Cup could end early for him or that he would at least have to pause for a few days. Neymar took a lot of kicks from the Serbian defenders in the game. One had apparently been so severe that his ankle was badly swollen and needed cooling.

“It’s crazy, that’s what you dream of as a child, scoring a goal like that in a place like that,” said Richarlison after the game, who scored the best goal of this World Cup so far with his side kick to make it 2-0. “We managed to turn the tables in the second half and decided the game.” The World Cup opener in Qatar was successful, but will it still be enough for the title if Neymar is actually out? How much would it cost to win against the Serbs if the attacker didn’t recover?

“We started the treatment straight away while he was still on the bench and we continued the treatment in the dressing room,” said one of the Brazilian team doctors. “We now have to wait 24 to 48 hours before we can say more.” National coach Tite was confident at the press conference that Neymar “can continue playing at this World Cup. He will continue this World Cup!”

Richarlison encourages Neymar

Brazil have nothing but the World Cup as their goal in Qatar, as does Neymar. Already in 2014 in his own country there should have been the sixth world championship for the record world champion. But Neymar injured his back and watched helplessly as his Selecao went down without him in the 7-1 semi-final against Germany. In 2018 they lost to Belgium in the quarter-finals. Even then, Neymar shed many tears. This is their sixth title, the first by a South American team since Brazil won the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea.

“Four weeks ago I was still crying on the lawn myself, I was injured,” Richarlison tried to encourage his team-mate. “I was even afraid that I wouldn’t be able to fly to the World Cup at all. But all the efforts were worth it.”

The coming days will show whether Neymar will be able to laugh again soon. With a swollen ankle, he hobbled into the dressing room after the final whistle. His tears had dried, but he didn’t look really happy.