Neymar Comes Off the Brazilian Bench for World Cup 2026 Debut

Neymar came off the bench for his first appearance with Brazil at the 2026 World Cup in a 3-0 win over Scotland on Thursday, June 25, 2026, early in the morning WIB.

Vinicius Junior scored twice in the first half and Matheus Cunha added a goal in the second half as Brazil secured top spot in Group C above Morocco, who beat Haiti 4-2 on the same day.

Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti said before the game that Neymar was in full fitness and would be available. And the Santos striker took to the field in the 76th minute to a rapturous reception from the Selecao fans at the Hard Rock Stadium.

"I think he deserves a chance to play, that's why I gave him. He has prepared well, he is very serious."

"Because of his quality, I think he can play and help the team. I think he played well even though he only played a few minutes," Ancelotti said after the match.

Before Neymar came in, Vinicius - who mesmerized fans - scored his team's opening goal thanks to a mistake in the Scottish backline and then added another goal through a header on the far post just before the first half break.

"Yes. I think everyone played well. We played as a team, and that's a good thing. There are a lot of positives, like Neymar coming off the bench, which can help us," Vinicius said when asked about Neymar.

Mattheus Cunha added Brazil's third goal in the 60th minute and there was no way back for a Scotland team that was beaten and dispirited at the time.

"Neymar is a star, a genius, an idol for all of us. We try our best to make him feel comfortable when he steps onto the pitch. I think he is very happy to be in."

"He's a special person, not only a great player, but also a great person," Bruno Guimaraes said after the match.

Neymar was one of the last players to get off the Brazilian bus before the game, giving thumbs up, waving his hands and shaking hands with some supporters as he headed into the stadium and the team's dressing room.

Neymar has suffered a right calf injury, which has kept him out of all matches for more than a month. He had a training session with Brazil on Sunday, June 21, 2026, which gave rise to the belief that he could finally play.

Neymar is Brazil's all-time leading scorer with 79 goals in 129 international appearances. The 34-year-old striker has appeared in each of Brazil's last three World Cups and scored eight goals.

His role in the Samba Team has been questioned. Neymar has been the main topic of conversation among Brazilian football fans for some time.

This is inseparable from the difficulty of returning to his best performance since recovering from an ACL injury in his left knee which he suffered in October 2023 in the World Cup Qualification.

Since then, he has scored only four goals in eight games for his club in Brazil, Santos, this season.