Dorival Junior, coach of the Brazilian national team, expressed his desire for Neymar Junior, the Saudi Al Hilal star, to return to the ranks of the Seleção national team.
Neymar has not participated with the national team since October 2023, when he suffered a cruciate ligament injury that kept him out of action for a year, and even after returning with his club recently, Dorival did not summon him to the November camp, before he suffered a new injury two weeks ago.
The Brazilian national team tied in its two matches during the current international break, against Venezuela and Uruguay, in the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, where it occupies fifth place, 7 points behind Argentina (in the lead).
Dorival said, in a press conference after the draw with Uruguay: “I have always expressed my admiration for Neymar. We all know his abilities. I would like him to return to the team at a time when the team can support him. I hope that happens again in March or the following year, every year.” “What we want is for him to be fully fit so he can give his best.”
He added: “I have no doubt that with Neymar, the national team will perform better. I think it was too early to think about his return at that time. If he had been fit, he would have already hastened this matter. The decision to exclude him was the right decision, especially after what happened later.” “His injury.”
He concluded: “We were very careful, as we were monitoring his condition. We took the right approach. First, we want him to regain his fitness with his club, and then return to the national team, because he is an essential element. I have no doubt that he will continue to grow with the team.”