Neymar Shatters Records on Brazil's World Cup Stage

With three gravelly-spoken words from a stoic Italian, all of Brazil erupted in celebration.

"Neymar Junior, Santos."

After months of speculation and theatrical drama, Carlo Ancelotti made his decision. He's satisfied the dreamers and football romantics by choosing the 'farewell tour' path. An entire nation has shed tears of joy.

Neymar will have one final opportunity for redemption and glory at his fourth World Cup this summer. His selection has overshadowed the Seleção's shortcomings in crucial areas of the pitch, with far too many fans overjoyed about the 34-year-old's return to notice.

It has been three years since Neymar last featured for the national side, having spent the time following Brazil's quarterfinal elimination in Qatar either battling injuries or embroiled in off-field controversy. Whether Ancelotti's bold gamble pays off remains to be seen, but Neymar does bring a remarkably strong World Cup record with him to North America.

Here's a look back at his journey through football's most prestigious tournament.

World Cup Previews

All 48 Teams

Bespoke Illustrations

2014 World Cup

Dunga, who captained Brazil to their fourth World Cup title in 1994, chose not to call up an 18-year-old Neymar in 2010, and expressed no regrets about that call more than a decade later.

So, Brazil's next great hope would get his first taste of the grandest stage on home soil, carrying the weight of a nation's expectations in 2014. While many have been quick to highlight the Seleção's talent gaps heading into the upcoming tournament, they reached the semifinals 12 years ago thanks to Thiago Silva's commanding defensive presence and the brilliance of their gifted attacking star.

This was Neymar's World Cup — until it wasn't. He launched the tournament with a brace against Croatia before closing out the group stage with another double, this time against Cameroon. A resilient Chile pushed Brazil to a penalty shootout in the round of 16, with Neymar converting from the spot just before Gonzalo Jara blazed the decisive kick wide.

James Rodriguez's Colombia stood between them and a semifinal berth, but Silva's header and David Luíz's breathtaking free-kick powered a 2–1 victory.

It was during a moment of celebration that Brazil discovered the severity of Neymar's back injury, sustained after absorbing the full impact of Juan Zúñiga's knee. Cruelly sidelined for the remainder of the tournament, he could only watch helplessly as a ruthless Germany dismantled the emotionally fragile Brazilians. An infamous 7–1 defeat followed, with Silva's suspension arguably proving more damaging than the loss of their talisman.

Neymar was nonetheless recognized for his outstanding debut, earning the 2014 Bronze Ball and a place in the All-Star Team.

2018 World Cup

Brazil entered the 2018 World Cup as pre-tournament favorites, and they held onto that billing right up until the quarterfinals began.

They hadn't exactly dazzled in Russia, but showed signs of hitting their stride with a 2–0 victory over Serbia to seal the group stage. Neymar netted Brazil's second in another 2–0 win on Matchday 2 against Costa Rica, and also found the net in the comfortable round of 16 victory over Mexico.

There had been fitness doubts surrounding the then-Paris Saint-Germain forward ahead of the tournament, but Neymar looked imperious in Samara, tapping in the opening goal after Brazil had been frustrated by Guillermo Ochoa for 50 minutes.

It was a display that won over many skeptics after a slow start, but they ultimately fell to Belgium's 'golden generation' in the quarterfinals. Brazil mounted a late comeback but lacked the cutting edge needed in front of goal, as a brilliant Thibaut Courtois performance sent the Red Devils into the semifinals.

2022 World Cup

It always seemed destined to come down to either Argentina or Brazil in the Gulf. The former were the reigning Copa América champions riding a wave of unstoppable momentum, while the Seleção carried the glamour and prestige, along with a supremely talented squad.

They looked impressive against Serbia, with a Richarlison brace — including a jaw-dropping acrobatic effort — carrying them to a 2–0 win. However, a tearful Neymar was substituted off with an ankle injury, later confirmed as a sprain, causing him to miss their remaining group fixtures.

Brazil advanced without much difficulty, and they didn't need their all-time top scorer in the last 16 either, thrashing South Korea 4–1. Neymar came on for 13 minutes to cap a memorable evening, and returned to Tite's starting lineup for the quarterfinal showdown with Croatia.

He produced the magical moment that should have set the stage for a tantalizing semifinal against Lionel Messi's Argentina, but his 105th-minute opener was cancelled out by Bruno Petković deep into extra time.

Brazil then faced the fury of Dominik Livaković, who denied two Brazilian penalties as Croatia converted all of theirs. Neymar had been set to take the fifth.

Neymar's Complete World Cup Record