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Brazil icon Cafu has sensationally claimed that Neymar is technically superior to both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as he backed the forward to lead the Selecao at the upcoming World Cup.
The legendary right-back, who remains the only man to play in three consecutive World Cup finals, believes a fit Neymar remains the ultimate difference-maker for the Brazil national team.
Neymar well past his peak
Neymar was once considered the heir to the Messi-Ronaldo throne, but the Ballon d'Or has always eluded him, and after seeing his career halted by numerous injuries, the 34-year-old is now struggling to rediscover his best form at Santos. He's been a Brazilian football icon since his first spell at Santos, but his maturity and focus off the pitch have often been questioned. With the World Cup just around the corner, the pressure remains on Neymar to force his way into Carlo Ancelotti's squad as Brazil chases their first global crown since 2002.
Technical superiority over the GOATs
Despite Neymar facing a series of fitness battles in recent seasons, former AC Milan defender Cafu insists that the former Barcelona man's ceiling has always been higher than that of Messi and Ronaldo.
"For me, Neymar was technically even better than [Cristiano] Ronaldo and [Lionel] Messi," the Brazil legend said to The Times. "He’s had a brilliant career."
When pressed on Neymar's World Cup prospects, Cafu added: "Any team that has a decisive player like Neymar needs that player. If Neymar is in good shape — physically fit, tactically fit, technically fit — it’s obvious he’s a player who decides games. But only Ancelotti can decide and only Neymar can know if he’s ready."
Ancelotti and the Brazil transition
The Selecao are heading into a new era under Ancelotti, the first foreigner to take sole charge of the national team.
"I’m comfortable with it," Cafu explained. "Ancelotti is the most Brazilian Italian coach there has ever been because he has worked with so many Brazilian players. Brazil has modernized. Most of the best Brazilian players are playing in Europe and Ancelotti is European, but that doesn’t mean Brazilian football is European football. The Brazilian essence will always be there." Ancelotti himself has targeted a balance for the side, stating he wants "an Italian defense and a Brazilian attack", a strategy Cafu believes "can work well."
Managing the World Cup pressure
Pressure is a constant companion for the Brazilian national team, especially as they look to avoid going six consecutive tournaments without a victory. Cafu recalled how his legendary side dealt with the weight of expectation. Surprisingly, it involved a makeshift game of golf in a hotel corridor on the eve of their final victory against Germany.
"We played golf," Cafu joked. "We were in our hotel before the final in 2002 and everyone was sitting around chatting. Ronaldinho had a ball and a club in his room, which a team had given him as a gift. He got a plastic cup and put it in the corridor and started trying to hit the ball into the cup. I’m terrible at golf, but everyone was playing — me, Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos, Lúcio, Roque Júnior, Edmilson. We stayed in that corridor for maybe an hour and a half. It was the night before the World Cup final and we were playing golf to have fun."
Reporting by GOAL.
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