Hero and villain... Neymar flirts with Ancelotti ahead of the World Cup

The newspaper *Mundo Deportivo* highlighted Neymar’s outstanding performance; in the 39th minute, he delivered a superb pass that cut through the opposition’s defence, setting up Tachiano to score the opening goal.

In the second half, Neymar led a brilliant attack in which he dribbled past several players, eventually setting up Gonzalo Escobar, who passed to Moises to score the second goal.

Although Neymar has not yet reached peak physical condition, he was the most dangerous player on the pitch, drawing the opposition defence’s attention throughout the match and creating several dangerous chances.

However, the downside came at the end of the match, when Neymar received a yellow card following a clash with an opposing player, meaning he will miss the upcoming clash with Flamengo due to an accumulation of bookings.

This suspension may reduce the number of matches available to Neymar to impress Ancelotti before the national team squad is announced on 18 May, when 26 players will be selected to participate in the 2026 World Cup.

Neymar had previously hinted at his desire to play in the 2026 World Cup before announcing his retirement from international football.

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