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Brazil faces underdog Norway on Sunday in a round of 16 clash at the 2026 World Cup, a match that will once again thrust the ongoing Neymar Jr narrative into the spotlight.
A calf injury had put Neymar's participation in his fourth World Cup in jeopardy. Luckily for him and his countless supporters worldwide, Brazil's all-time top scorer healed in time and made his long-awaited tournament entrance in the group stage closer against Scotland.
Brazil then mounted a dramatic comeback to edge Japan 2–1 thanks to a late Gabriel Martinelli goal in the round of 32, showing resilience to keep their World Cup hopes alive.
Yet a fully recovered Neymar didn't see a single minute of action against Japan, remaining on the bench throughout as his teammates staged their comeback on Monday.
With Brazil advancing to the next round, the burning question resurfaces: Will Neymar get game time against Norway in the round of 16?
Neymar's Role for Brazil Against Norway
After the victory over Japan, Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti offered some revealing remarks about why Neymar ended the match without coming off the bench.
"We were waiting for extra time [to bring Neymar on]," Ancelotti explained. "I spoke with him and told him 'If we haven't leveled the match, you will come on around the 60th or 65th minute.' We equalized before that point and I didn't want to disrupt the team's shape because we were controlling the game."
It's evident that Ancelotti is deploying Neymar as a tactical option for very particular situations. The injury-prone 34-year-old may not be able to sustain more than 30 minutes on the pitch—a notion reinforced by the Italian coach opting to bring on Martinelli before him, a decision that ultimately proved inspired.
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Ancelotti himself acknowledged that Neymar is dissatisfied with his limited role at this summer's tournament, but praised the veteran for the professionalism he has shown in handling the circumstances.
"He's not satisfied [with his role], but he's behaving very well," Ancelotti said of Neymar's situation, via AS. "He's training very well. Neymar is very respectful, kind and loved by his teammates. He's an important figure in the team because he has quality and he's a very humble person.
"I'm very happy with him. And obviously he wants to play, like he's always wanted. The important thing is that he can play. No one knows how long he will play. He has the experience to manage his minutes in the game and the tempo.
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"When I see that the team needs him, I'll put him on."
It would be a major surprise if Neymar earns a starting spot for Brazil against Norway on Sunday. Judging by Ancelotti's words, Brazil's No.10 appears set to only take the field if La Seleçao requires a game-changing impact in the closing stages.