More heartbreak in Rio
Having become a household name following his move to Barcelona, much was expected of Neymar, who led Brazil’s attack at the 2014 World Cup on home soil, but the event would end in tears for the talismanic player.
Neymar – who scored four goals in five games – sustained a broken spine in Brazil’s quarter-final win over Colombia and was forced to watch his teammates suffer an embarrassing 7-1 semi-final defeat by Germany.
Injuries and a Torn Reputation
Neymar will again be ruled out by injury at the global showpiece in Russia in 2018 – only two years after Brazil won its first men’s Olympic gold with the winning penalty in a 5-4 shootout win over Germany in Rio de Janeiro.
Neymar sprained his right ankle, affecting the fifth metatarsal of his foot, and was never fully fit during the World Cup in Russia, as Brazil lost to Belgium in the quarter-finals.
The Paris Saint-Germain striker – the world’s most expensive player after his record 222-million-euro ($231 million) move to the French side from Barcelona in 2017 – left with his reputation intact even after being ridiculed for his haircut went. , diving and tears in the tournament.
