\nDespite Neymar\u2019s flaws, the diving, that excruciating Mister Potato advert, the questionable clothes, the holidays to Ibiza during Covid, the knack (and subsequent 7-1 defeats), the shallow decline from Barcelona to PSG to Saudi Arabia, it was impossible not to have a modicum of sympathy for Brazil\u2019s No 10 on Wednesday.
\nNeymar was left writhing around in pain after the anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus in his left knee decided to part company during Brazil\u2019s 2-0 World Cup qualifying defeat to Uruguay, meaning the 31-year-old now faces surgery and at least eight months on the sidelines.
\nIs this the end? With the help of modern medicine, maybe not. Perhaps a year from now, Neymar 3.0 will still be hobbling around a pitch in Riyadh, scoring penalties in a bid to justify his \u00a3138m salary.
\nBut this might be the end of Elite Neymar, a player who last month surpassed Pel\u00e9 as Brazil\u2019s record male goalscorer. And it was not a pretty way to go out, leaving the field in tears after landing awkwardly in Montevideo.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s a very sad time, the worst,\u201d he sighed. \u201cI know I\u2019m strong, but this time I\u2019m going to need my family and friends even more.\u201d
\nA good job, then, that Al-Hilal agreed to fund Neymar\u2019s 30-strong entourage when he signed for the Saudi club in August, a deal that also included non-negotiable demands of (not a joke, deep breath) \u2026 a house with three saunas, a pool \u201cat least 40 metres long\u201d, seven full-time workers, including a sous chef to work with his own head chef, a guaranteed supply of a\u00e7a\u00ed juice and Guaran\u00e1 drinks in his fridge, a private plane, three dedicated supercars (Bentley, Aston Martin, Lamborghini) plus four Mercedes G-Wagons and a luxury chauffeured van to be kept \u201cavailable at all times\u201d. Obscene really, but doubtless all things that Neymar would trade for a new knee in a heartbeat.
\nThe frightening pace of his early years \u2013 along with that mullet thing he had going on \u2013 has sadly disappeared, but there is little doubt that in terms of pure talent in the world game, few can match the Brazilian, who burst on to the scene at Santos, a blur of pulled-up socks and nutmegs. Some of those early clips \u2013 \u201cNeymar Jr King of Dribbling 2011 | HD\u201d \u2013 verge on a joke. He was a cheat code, a teenage freak who would lead his side to Copa Libertadores glory.
\nThere was a wonderful arrogance, and it was this fearlessness of youth combined with the humility of playing alongside Lionel Messi that spawned maybe his most potent version, forming one third of arguably the best forward line there has ever been: Lionel Messi, Luis Su\u00e1rez, Neymar. MSN.<\/p>\n
There have been showboaters from Brazil, from seal-dribbler Kerlon to Ronaldinho. Neymar was always firmly in the latter camp \u2013 joyful, spontaneous football but with a purpose. Neymar\u2019s style now feels almost extinct. How many true dribblers exist in today\u2019s game? Jack Grealish has been coached into forgetting the swagger which earned him that \u00a3100m move, but who is going to argue with Pep Guardiola and Manchester City\u2019s treble? Keep the width, retain possession, pass it back to Rodri. In a stats-driven age of counter-pressing and xP (expected pass completions), there simply isn\u2019t much room for a guy that wants to have fun. And football is poorer for that.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Despite Neymar\u2019s flaws, the diving, that excruciating Mister Potato advert, the questionable clothes, the holidays to Ibiza during Covid, the knack (and subsequent 7-1 defeats), the shallow decline from Barcelona to PSG to Saudi Arabia, it was impossible not to have a modicum of sympathy for Brazil\u2019s No 10 on Wednesday. Neymar was left writhing […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":362713,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-362698","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n