At Vila Belmiro, Santos beat Atlético-MG 1-0 this Saturday (11), in the 11th round of the 2026 Brasileirão.
+ New runner-up without playing and more changes in the Brasileirão table
The match marked Neymar’s return to the pitch after the No. 10 star missed Peixe’s games against Flamengo (a 3-1 loss in the national championship) and Deportivo Cuenca (a 1-0 loss in the Copa Sudamericana).
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Even though he neither scored nor provided an assist, Neymar moved well on the field and found his teammates at important moments.
After the match, Hulk was asked by the reporter whether Neymar’s performance in the game was enough to earn him a call-up for the 2026 World Cup.
The Atlético-MG idol, politely but firmly, said he was focused on the match and not on analyzing his former Brazil national team teammate.
Reporter: “Important to hear from you real quick — you saw Neymar playing today, your friend, what did you think of Neymar? Should he go to the World Cup?”
Hulk: “Man, I even apologize to you, but, like, I was focused on the game, you know? The first objective is Clube Atlético Mineiro, the institution, us giving our all here, and everyone knows the quality Neymar has. I’m not the one who has to say whether he should go (to the World Cup) or not. I think whoever goes deserves it, so if he deserves it, for sure, he’ll be there (on the final squad list). The Brazil national team is always like that, there are many quality players and whoever deserves it will definitely be there to represent us.”
The detail is that, with the ball in play, Hulk even gave Neymar a little knock, and Neymar went down in pain, but the Atlético-MG idol quickly apologized, and the Peixe star accepted it.
Coach Carlo Ancelotti will announce the final list of 26 players called up to represent the Brazil national team at the 2026 World Cup on May 18.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.
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