In a Folha de S.Paulo column on March 20, 2026, a reporter counters criticism and advocates for including Santos' 34-year-old Neymar in Brazil's 2026 World Cup squad. The piece emphasizes the player's symbolic value alongside career stats like over 450 goals.
The reporter, a Folha podcast producer since 2022, responds to Idelber Avelar's column labeling Neymar supporters a 'demencial circus'. He concedes a lack of hard numbers for the call-up but challenges stats' primacy in soccer, citing youngsters like Manchester City's Rayan Cherki and Barcelona's Lamine Yamal who prize the sport's playful side. Neymar has over 450 career goals, exceeding Maradona's 345, though pure tallies are dismissed, as with Pelé's fewer official Brazil goals. Drawing on 'magical realism', the author argues Neymar boosts national self-esteem, echoing Pelé and Garrincha as past unity symbols. He cites professor Luiz Antônio Simas and rapper Mano Brown linking Neymar's path to 21st-century Black movements. Acknowledging a weak 'lobby', he notes Neymar's influence on Vini Jr. and Raphinha. He critiques Carlo Ancelotti's list players as reserves past their physical peak. The case prioritizes cultural legacy over trophies.
