Casemiro on Neymar's World Cup Chances: Must Be Fit to Play
Casemiro didn’t hesitate. Asked about Neymar’s World Cup chances, the man widely expected to wear Brazil’s armband this year made his stance crystal clear: if Santos’ No. 10 is physically ready, there should be no debate.
Sitting down with ESPN Brasil, the Manchester United midfielder cut through the noise that has surrounded his long-time friend.
“It’s a very awkward topic,” he admitted, before immediately underlining the depth of their connection. “I’m Neymar’s friend. I’ve played with Neymar since we were 12 years old.”
From there, Casemiro moved straight to the heart of the matter: Neymar’s status within the national team.
For him, the technical question doesn’t even exist.
“Neymar doesn’t have to prove anything to anyone. Ancelotti has already made the physical issue clear, whether he’ll be able to get closer physically. Talent… I don’t even need to talk about what a great player he is, what a great player he has been, and the talent he has with the ball at his feet.”
The message was firm. The only hurdle left is the body, not the ball.
“The big issue is the physical side,” Casemiro stressed. “If he’s physically fit, there’s no discussion. He has to go to the World Cup, he’s the team’s main man, he’s the team’s star. The issue is that it’s also up to him to be physically fit.”
A race against the calendar
The clock is already ticking. Carlo Ancelotti will reveal his 26-man list on the 18th, at an event at the Museum of Tomorrow in Rio de Janeiro. Between now and then, Neymar has just four matches to convince that he can arrive at something close to his ideal level.
Four games to show he can still carry a team. Four games to prove to Ancelotti that his body can match his reputation.
He missed Santos’ clash with Palmeiras last Saturday because of the artificial pitch, a precaution that only adds to the sense of urgency around his condition. Now, everything tightens.
Santos, bottom of Group D in the Copa Sudamericana, head to Paraguay on Tuesday (5) to face Recoleta in the fourth round. It is already a decisive night for the club; for Neymar, it is the first of his four remaining auditions.
After that comes Red Bull Bragantino at home on 10/5 in the Brasileirão. The league table does not flatter Santos. They sit 16th, staring at trouble, and need a response. A fit and influential Neymar could change the mood in a single afternoon.
Then comes a double-header against Coritiba that could shape both Santos’ season and Neymar’s World Cup push.
On 13/5, Santos travel to face Coritiba in the second leg of the fifth round of the Copa do Brasil, with the tie finely poised after a 0-0 draw in the first leg. No away-goal cushion, no margin for error. If Neymar plays, every touch will be weighed not just in terms of result, but in terms of rhythm, intensity, explosiveness.
Four days later, on 17/5, the same opponent awaits at Vila Belmiro in the Brasileirão. It is the last competitive fixture before Ancelotti steps up to the podium in Rio and reads out 26 names.
The schedule is brutal in its clarity:
- 5/5 – Recoleta (A) – Copa Sudamericana
- 10/5 – Red Bull Bragantino (H) – Brasileirão
- 13/5 – Coritiba (A) – Copa do Brasil
- 17/5 – Coritiba (H) – Brasileirão
For Casemiro, the equation is simple. For Neymar, nothing about the next two weeks will feel simple at all. Four games, one body, and a World Cup place that, in the eyes of Brazil’s likely captain, should already belong to him—if his legs can keep up with his legend.
