Soccer
Neymar's emotional response to Brazil return after 981 days absence
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Brazil put the victory on track against Scotland in the first half thanks to a brace from Vinicius Jr. In the second half, Matheus Cunha added a definitive 3-0 and allowed the Seleção to close out the group stage as leaders of Group C.
However, beyond the result, all eyes were on Neymar. Carlo Ancelotti decided to bring the forward on in the 75th minute and the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami responded with a deafening ovation to welcome one of the great icons of Brazilian football.
Neymar: "My heart was beating a thousand times a minute"
The wait had been a long one. The Santos forward returned to play for Brazil 981 days after his last appearance for the national side and made his 2026 World Cup debut.
He also added another World Cup appearance to his name by playing in his fourth consecutive tournament.
Although he had barely a quarter of an hour on the pitch, Neymar showed several moments of quality and was involved in some of Brazil's most dangerous attacking moves.
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At the final whistle, the emotion he had been carrying throughout came flooding out and the forward broke down in tears on the pitch.
Then came another of the most moving moments of the evening. Neymar was reunited with his family and celebrated his return alongside his partner, Bruna Biancardi, his daughters Mavie and Mel, and his eldest son, Davi Lucca.
Once calmer, the Brazilian admitted that he had experienced the match with an enormous emotional weight. "My heart was beating a thousand times a minute, I was very nervous... but happy! Proud, everything went well," he said.
