Is Neymar playing in Copa America 2024?

Brazil hit with the absence of Neymar for the upcoming Copa America

Brazil star forward Neymar will not be a part of their squad for the Copa America 2024. The 32-year-old wasn’t announced in the official roster for the country’s trip to the USA to participate in the prestigious competition. The reason behind the Al-Hilal forward missing out from Brazil’s squad is an injury he sustained in October 2023, while playing in one of the international friendlies for his national side.

The player is currently in the process of making his comeback on the field and is pretty much in the recovery stages from his ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) injury blow. Neymar reportedly ‘ruptured’ his ACL. After undergoing surgery, it was quite ominous that his recovery period might see him miss out on the Copa America.

Although Brazil does have players like Rodrygo, Vinicius Junior, Raphinha, and Endrick, the experience of Neymar would have lifted them to another level and provided a scathing scare for their opponents in the upcoming 48th edition of Copa America. At this stage, certain reports signify that the 32-year-old might be able to make a return in July 2024 at the earliest.

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Neymar’s record on the international stage for Brazil and how his missing from the Copa America squad might hurt Brazil in the long run

Neymar has been a prolific performer for Brazil on the international stage. He’s been the player who has often bailed out the team from difficult circumstances and emerged as a major X-factor for them in important matches. It would be quite fascinating to see, how head coach Dorival Junior manages his young troops in the absence of an experienced forward like Neymar.

In his 128 appearances for Brazil at the international arena so far, the veteran number 10 has managed an impressive tally of 79 goals. Also, his performances in some of the previous editions of Copa America he has played in have been good. When Brazil reached the Copa America final in 2021, he was one of their standout performers.

With Neymar’s ability to link the play and aid other attacking players around him, Brazil often had a pivot to play through. The number 10 was not only able to create those chances but often found himself in crucial positions to finish them off as well. Dorival Junior has to find a certain game plan and utilize his available squad of players to make sure the team’s intensity does not drop throughout the longer haul in the tournament.

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