Tearful Neymar ends two-year Brazil exile as Selecao top Group C with 3-0 win over Scotland

Neymar returned to the Brazil national side for the first time in nearly two years as the Selecao sealed top spot in Group C with a 3-0 victory over Scotland at Miami Stadium on Thursday. The 34-year-old, absent since a World Cup qualifier against Uruguay in October 2023, came on as a substitute in the 76th minute to complete a landmark 129th international cap.

Neymar had been a surprise inclusion in Carlo Ancelotti’s 26-man squad after a difficult spell at Santos — where he narrowly avoided relegation last season — and missed Brazil’s opening two group games with a calf injury. His recovery in time for the Scotland fixture gave Ancelotti the option to hand him a cameo with the result already secured, and the forward took it with visible emotion, wiping tears from his eyes shortly after stepping onto the pitch.

He replaced Matheus Cunha with Brazil cruising, and was described as fairly bright during his limited time on the field. At the final whistle he embraced teammates and family members pitchside, the moment carrying the weight of a comeback that had seemed uncertain for much of the past 20 months.

While Neymar’s return was the emotional centrepiece of the evening, the result itself was equally significant. Brazil advance as Group C winners ahead of Morocco, and will face the runner-up from Group F — which contains the Netherlands, Japan and Sweden — in Houston on Monday, 29 June.

Neymar is not expected to challenge for a starting berth in a front line that already features Vini Jr. and Raphinha, but his presence in the squad adds depth and, as Thursday showed, a symbolic weight that clearly still resonates within the camp. With minutes now in his legs, his role in the knockout rounds remains to be seen.