More and more voices are speaking out in favor of Neymar’s return to the Brazil national team for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. In this case, it was a soccer legend, Ronaldinho, who backed the Santos forward’s case.
“I hope he goes because I think he can be very helpful,” Ronaldinho said about Ney in a recent interview with Globo Esporte. “Personally, I’m his friend, and I think he is one of the greatest talents in world soccer.”
However, the former Barcelona and AC Milan star, who retired in 2015, made it clear that he trusts Carlo Ancelotti’s judgment when it comes to selecting Brazil’s roster: “It’s the coach’s decision, and we have to respect it… We don’t know what the coach is thinking. He has his own plans.”
Despite Neymar’s absence—at least for now—from Ancelotti’s plans, Ronaldinho expressed optimism about the direction of the national team in the months leading up to the World Cup. “I see Brazil doing very well. They have great players, and we wish them a good preparation so they arrive in top form. As a fan, their number one supporter, I’ll be there cheering them on,” said the 2005 Ballon d’Or winner.
Neymar and Ronaldinho in action during a Brazil training session on February 5, 2013 in London.
Neymar and Ronaldinho were teammates and rivals
Despite belonging to different generations, Ronaldinho and Neymar were briefly teammates with the Brazil national team. Ney made his international debut in August 2010 and, just three months later, played alongside Ronaldinho in a friendly against Argentina. In the following years, they shared the field several more times, totaling 10 matches together, with six wins, two draws, and two losses.
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At the same time, the two stars also faced each other at club level. In 2011 and 2012, they went head-to-head in the Brazilian Serie A with Santos and Flamengo. The most memorable of those matches was the first, a 5-4 Flamengo victory fueled by a Ronaldinho hat trick and two goals from Ney.
Ronaldinho has the authority to speak
Ronaldinho’s opinion carries weight given his legacy as a player. The attacking midfielder was one of the biggest stars in world soccer in the early 2000s and left his mark both at club level with Barcelona and internationally with Brazil.
With the national team, Dinho achieved major success, winning the 1999 Copa America, the 2002 FIFA World Cup in South Korea and Japan, and the 2005 Confederations Cup. He also earned a bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
