RTE PUNDIT Richie Sadlier believes that Neymar’s legacy as a Brazilian great hinges on whether he can ‘light up’ this World Cup.
The former Milwall player and ex-St. Pat’s CEO was speaking on RTE ahead of Brazil’s opener against Serbia.
Brazil are currently the favourite to lift the famous trophy for the sixth time after Argentina’s shock defeat to Saudi Arabia.
It is arguably the best Brazil squad Neymar has been a part of since his early days with the Seleção.
Couple that with years of disappointment, Sadlier believes that it is all-or-nothing for Neymar at Qatar 2022.
The 43-year-old said: “I think the stakes are so high for him personally.”
Read More in Football
“Now we’re in this weird world where if Argentina don’t do well, we’ll hold Messi personally responsible and Neymar the same with Brazil.
“I think he’s in the stage of his career where it’s kind of about the creation of his legacy.”
Neymar’s move to Barcelona in 2013 was surrounded by hype and expectation, but his world-record move to PSG in 2017 has seen his club career stagnate on the biggest stages.
Sadlier added: “Is he going to be someone who just raked up a load of caps, a load of goals, loads and loads of brilliant individual moments, had a club career that is at odds with his personal ambition, there’s no Balon d’Or, there’s no Champions League since he left Barcelona.
Most read in Sport
“He hasn’t lit up PSG or dominated that club in the way he would’ve hoped he did.
“So he went there thinking ‘right, I’m out of Messi’s shadow, I’m the main man’ and he very quickly fell into Mbappe’s shadow.”
Neymar sits just two goals off Pele’s goalscoring record and is fourth in Brazil’s appearance list.
Despite that, Sadlier believes that those records must be coupled with a World Cup win to cement his legacy.
“It’s all on this tournament I think, in terms of what he’s going to be remembered as by the Brazilian public.
“To light up a World Cup and be the main man in them lifting the World Cup, that puts him in the status with the Brazilian greats.
Sadlier concluded: “I think if he was to have a disappointing tournament, I don’t think he would be.”