Brazil football legend Cafu claims Neymar is \u2018technically even higher\u2019 than Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.<\/p>\n
Neymar, 34, is back in Brazil playing for boyhood club Santos having been one in every of the standout players in Europe over the past decade.<\/p>\n
The dynamic forward spent 4 successful years at Barcelona, scoring greater than a goal every other game and winning eight major trophies, including the Champions League.<\/p>\n
Neymar became the most costly footballer in history when he accomplished a shocking \u00a3222m move to PSG in 2017.<\/p>\n
The Brazilian continued to dazzle within the French capital, scoring 118 goals in 173 games and winning five league titles in six years.<\/p>\n
Neymar\u2019s natural decline and his current injury issues have made him a significant doubt to be a part of Carlo Ancelotti\u2019s Brazil\u2019s squad for this summer\u2019s World Cup.<\/p>\n
But Cafu has urged Ancelotti to take Neymar to the US if he’s physically \u2018ready\u2019, claiming he’s \u2018technically even higher\u2019 than all-time greats Messi and Ronaldo.<\/p>\n Neymar is Brazil\u2019s all-time record goalscorer with 79 in 128 caps and is hoping to go to his fourth World Cup.<\/p>\n \u2018Any team that has a decisive player like Neymar needs that player,\u2019 Cafu, who stays Brazil\u2019s most-capped player with 142 appearances,\u00a0told The Times<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u2018If Neymar is in good condition \u2013 physically fit, tactically fit, technically fit \u2013 it\u2019s obvious he\u2019s a player who decides games. But only Ancelotti can resolve and only Neymar can know if he\u2019s ready.<\/p>\n \u2018For me, Neymar was technically even higher than [Cristiano] Ronaldo and [Lionel] Messi. He\u2019s had a superb profession.\u2019<\/p>\n Ancelotti became the primary foreign manager to take charge of the Brazil national team when he took over in May 2025.<\/p>\n \u2018I\u2019m comfortable with it,\u2019 Cafu said of the appointment. \u2018Ancelotti is probably the most Brazilian Italian coach there has ever been because he has worked with so many Brazilian players.<\/p>\n \u2018Brazil has modernised. Most of the very best Brazilian players are playing in Europe and Ancelotti is European, but that doesn\u2019t mean Brazilian football is European football. The Brazilian essence will at all times be there.\u2019<\/p>\n While Brazil are probably the most successful team in World Cup history with five titles, they’ve fallen short within the last five tournaments.<\/p>\n Rating Brazil\u2019s probabilities ahead of this summer\u2019s World Cup, Cafu added: \u2018It could work well.<\/p>\n \u2018The primary objective in a World Cup is just not to concede goals and I don\u2019t expect many surprises at this World Cup. 100 per cent, Brazil has a probability.\u2019<\/p>\n Brazil begin their World Cup campaign against African champions Morocco on June 13. They then face play Haiti and Scotland as they appear to advance from Group C.<\/p>\n Brazil\u2019s south American rivals Argentina are the World Cup holders having won their third title in Qatar in 2022, beating France on penalties in the ultimate.<\/p>\n For more stories like this,\u00a0check our sport page<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Follow Metro Sport for the most recent news on ![\"San](\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/GettyImages-2273112104.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=594\")
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