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FWC on Sport Nation guide'Idol' Neymar back as Vinicius leaves Scots on edge
AP •  June 25th, 2026 2:16 pm
Neymar has made a successful return to international football in Brazil's easy win over Scotland | Photo: AP
Vinicius Junior has scored two goals, Matheus Cunha also netted and five-time world champions Brazil beat Scotland 3-0 to advance the knockout round.
Vinicius — who has a goal in all three of Brazil's group matches — scored in the seventh minute and again just before halftime on Wednesday (Thursday NZ time), tying Norway's Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe of France with four goals, one behind Lionel Messi of Argentina.
"We are working to play the best that we can," Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti said.
"But the goal is not to play well. We know that playing well is easier to win, but the goal is to win ... If we win the World Cup, we played well. If we don't win the World Cup, we played really bad."
Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior headed Brazil into a commanding halftime lead in Miami | Photo: AP
Neymar entered as a substitute in the 76th, making his debut after a right calf injury sidelined him for the Selecao's first two matches. The majority-Brazilian crowd in Miami began chanting his name midway through the second half as he got off the bench and began doing warm-up sprints on the sideline — and fans roared as he trotted onto the pitch.
The 34-year-old forward is Brazil's career leading scorer with 79 goals in 130 international appearances and has appeared in each of the past three World Cups for Brazil, scoring eight goals.
His role — and whether he deserves to be in Carlo Ancelotti's team at all — has been a major talking point among Brazil's passionate fans for some time. Neymar has struggled since returning from tearing the ACL in his left knee in October 2023 in a World Cup qualifier, and has four goals in eight matches for Brazilian club Santos this season.
Neymar enjoyed finally getting back on the field in his national team colours | EPA
"A very important moment for all of us," Vinicius said of Neymar's return in Portuguese.
"Our idol is back, a guy who always fought hard and did everything to be here, returning after a spell out with injury. I hope he can keep evolving and keep improving, helping us throughout the competition. That's what matters most."
Scotland are playing at their first World Cup since 1998 and have become one of the more interesting teams of the tournament. Their dedicated fans, known as the Tartan Army, brought a party atmosphere to the Boston and Miami areas ahead of their team's matches.
The Scots haven't advanced past the group stage in nine attempts, while Brazil reached the knockout rounds for the 15th consecutive World Cup.
