After 981 days away from the Brazil shirt, Neymar made an emotional return as Carlo Ancelotti's side secured top spot in Group C. The loudest roar of the night in Miami Stadium did not greet one of Brazil's three goals against Scotland. It came when the fourth official raised the substitution board and the number ten appeared.

After 981 days away from the Brazil shirt, Neymar was back.

Matheus Cunha raced off the pitch to embrace the Brazilian superstar, who touched the grass first with his right foot, pointed to the sky with his index fingers and entered the fray. The crowd went crazy.

That is the strength of Neymar’s connection to the fans, and the scale of his influence on a team that appears to be building momentum as the tournament progresses. The 34-year-old forward entered the closing stages of Brazil's 3-0 victory over Scotland as Carlo Ancelotti's side secured top spot in Group C at the FIFA World Cup 26™.

Although his 20-minute cameo yielded no goal, it offered an encouraging glimpse of what he could still provide as Brazil prepare for the knockout rounds.

“I’m happy to be back wearing the Brazil shirt again after three years,” Neymar said after the game. “I feel good physically, thanks to God. It was hard to be away from the pitch for this long, but I wasn’t completely inactive.

“I’ve been training hard for 25 days to be in good shape for these matches. So I’m very happy, very satisfied. I felt a mix of emotions when I came on. It’s been a long time since I last wore this shirt, a long time since I last played for the national team, but thanks to God everything worked out and I managed to come back.” The Santos player had not worn the celebrated green-and-yellow shirt since October 2023 when he suffered a serious injury during the South American qualifiers against Uruguay that kept him off the pitch for almost a year.

“I think everyone played an important part. We worked as a team, which is a good thing. There were many positives and Neymar coming on was a real boost for us”, Ancelotti reflected.

Following a 1-1 draw in their opening game against Morocco, Brazil produced a convincing display against the Scots. The Seleção pressed high and won the ball back – which directly led to the opening goal – as well as limiting transitions and managing to put Vinicius into dangerous positions. The Real Madrid star continued his impressive start to the World Cup, and was helped by strong performances from midfield duo Bruno Guimaraes and Lucas Paqueta who helped drive the team forward. Further up the pitch, Rayan and Cunha were relentless in their pressing and direct in their attacking play, which proved too much for their European opponents.

Then there was Neymar. Despite a host of injuries over the past few years, he still has the ability to make decisive contributions. The image of Brazil’s No10 slicing through the Croatian defence in the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup still lingers in the minds of Seleção fans.

Neymar operated in the space between the opposition midfield and defensive lines. The first time he got on the ball, he received it side-on and attempted an audacious piece of skill that ultimately came to nothing.His Brazil team-mates looked to find him at every opportunity and he almost grabbed an assist as he slid in Vinicius with the outside of his foot, but the winger’s effort was thwarted. Neymar even audaciously looked to score directly from a corner and tested Angus Gunn with a fierce strike on another occasion.

Although he never fully showcased his game-breaking ability, he did offer a snapshot of what he can provide for his team, who now await their Round of 32 opponents. The striker acts as the perfect link between the midfielders and the forwards, as well as managing to get into scoring positions on several occasions.

“It’s a huge moment for everyone because our idol is back, someone who battled to be here with us,” Vinicius Jr said. “He’s back from injury and I hope that he can improve and help us as the tournament goes on.” Neymar had most recently been sidelined since 17 May when he suffered a grade two muscle injury to his right calf during a match between Santos and Coritiba in the Brazilian Championship – just one day after the World Cup squad was announced.

The injury saw Neymar miss out on Brazil’s draw against Morocco and the 3-0 win over Haiti.

After the final whistle, Neymar embraced Vinicius and shook hands with Ancelotti, the match officials and several opponents. A little later, he was on the other side of the pitch with his partner and child.

“Vini is our best player now and he’s in incredible form, he’s helped us a lot, deciding games, and that’s important for us,” Neymar said after his return. “Like I said, I’m very happy and now we’ve qualified, we need to keep winning to achieve our ultimate goal.”