Neymar is returning; how Brazil will perform now

Brazil will face Scotland in their final group-stage match at 4:00 a.m. on Thursday (25 June).

But Miami is waiting for 'him'. Brazil is waiting for 'him'. And that player is Neymar.

Brazil's next opponent is Scotland. In the Group C standings, Brazil is in a favorable position with 4 points from 2 matches. But within that equation lies another story, one that cannot be measured in numbers.

Yes, Brazil's football still seems not to have fully awakened.

A 1-1 draw against Morocco. A dull, almost absent-minded first half. Then a 3-0 victory over Haiti. There were flashes of brilliance there but not the full light, just brief flashes like lightning.

It is as if a grand symphony is being performed, but the maestro has yet to take the stage. That maestro is Neymar.

The 34-year-old forward began his journey carrying credentials of extraordinary talent. Over the past decade and a half, however, those credentials have gradually been accompanied by a thick medical file.

Throughout his career, he has spent 651 days on the sidelines due to ankle ligament injuries, cruciate knee tears and numerous other fitness problems.

Yet Brazil have called him up. Coach Carlo Ancelotti knows the value of experience on the biggest stage. It is Neymar's return to the national team after nearly three years. It is the story of a comeback to the World Cup after a chapter filled with injuries, but the story remains unfinished. Because in this tournament, he has not yet touched the ball.

Last week, Neymar returned to full training. On Monday (22 June), he took part in a tactical session with the team for the first time. Afterward, teammate Gabriel Martinelli said you can tell just by looking at Neymar how hungry he is.

That hunger is not only about getting onto the pitch. It is about proving himself once again.

Now the question is, will he play?

Perhaps he will start on the bench. Perhaps he will come on for the final half-hour. But his presence, even the possibility of it, changes the atmosphere around the match.

Because Neymar is not just a footballer. He is a bridge in Brazil's footballing memory. On one side stands Pele's golden past; on the other, Vinicius Junior's dazzling present. Neymar connects those two eras.

Vinicius is now the heartbeat of the team. In his last five international matches, he has been involved in six goals—three goals and three assists. His pace, dribbling, and decision-making represent the language of modern football.

But Neymar speaks a different language. A little like poetry, a little unpredictable, driven by a determination to make the impossible possible.

This time the opponent is Scotland, a team for whom history offers little encouragement. Scotland have never beaten a South American side at a World Cup. Against Brazil, they have four defeats and one draw from five matches.

But history is sometimes only the backdrop. The story is written in the present.

Steve Clarke's team are experienced. Against Morocco, their starting eleven contained a combined 609 international appearances, the highest total in Scottish football history. Their game is direct, physical, and dangerous from set pieces.

They know that even a single point in this match could change their history and turn their dream of reaching the knockout stage for the first time into reality. That is why this match in Miami is a crossroads not only for Brazil but for Scotland as well.

Brazil have some concerns on the right flank. Raphinha is unavailable through injury. Youngster Rayan was given an opportunity against Haiti, though Zenit's Luis Henrique is also being considered.

In midfield, Lucas Paqueta, Casemiro and Bruno Guimarães provide a balanced structure. At the back, Marquinhos, Gabriel Magalhães and Danilo have brought stability.

Everything appears to be in place. Yet something still feels incomplete. Perhaps the name of that incompleteness is Neymar.

It was against Scotland that Neymar scored his first international brace. Fifteen years later, the same opponent awaits him again. Time has changed. He has aged. The stage has changed as well.

From that friendly match in London to a World Cup encounter, football is sometimes like theatre. The characters return, the scenes change, but the emotions remain the same.

If Neymar steps onto the field in Miami tomorrow morning, it will not merely be a substitute appearance. It will be a declaration of return. Perhaps this is the beginning of the final chapter of his career.

And even if he does not play, his shadow will still be there in every pass, in every attack, in every ‘if’, because some players remain inside the game even when they are not on the field.