Neymar befriends excellence before calling it a day

Stoppage time hits the seven-minute mark. Brazil gets another penalty, wrapped with a nuanced scarf of consolation. Had it been another day, the taker would have been different, but the hour was sublime and the Brazilian superstar was on the field. It was as if destiny were a bit lenient on the Brazilians after a rigorous Erling Haaland show.
Neymar Jr. takes the ball and moves forward to take the kick. But not before the taker and the Norwegian goalkeeper Orjan Nyland exchanged a few adrenaline-infused words. Neymar, who came on as a substitute in the 67th minute, made sure his focus was as accurate as possible, as this was potentially going to be the last time he gets to score at a World Cup.
Standing still, the stylish forward didn’t disappoint. His trademark pause and eventually scoring towards the left corner made even Nyland smile. The smile was demonstrated on Neymar’s face as well but it carried importance. He rushed with a purpose. He made sure Nyland knew that if the penalty-taker is Neymar, the chances of stopping him is close to obsolete. The verbal exchange between the two proved again how, even in the dying seconds of the game, Neymar could not be stopped.
The crafty prince of wonderland, who, for the entirety of his career, has made it all seem like an illusion-etched bliss. The epitome of greatness was already under his feet when he toppled greats one by one. Standing tall as the second highest scorer for Brazil at World Cups, he surpassed the great Pele’s goal tally of 77 in 2023 to become the leading goal-scorer for the Selecao in history, redefining the aura of Jogo Bonito deep into the 21st century.
The Brazilian forwards, over the years, have had a tendency to become names in the list of favourites even in the enemy tents. Ronaldo Nazario, Rivaldo, Kaka and Ronaldinho were the torchbearers, and Neymar rightfully joined the club.
Insanity could still somehow be read, understood and carefully dealt with, but the Neymar who came to FC Barcelona from Santos to become a part of Blaugrana for life, was something that was awe-inspiring, especially in a forward line which had Lionel Messi in it.
When an end comes, it derives with a label of comfort and a wish for more. Neymar’s game time of almost 45 minutes against Norway on Sunday was an example as such. The whistle at the end only meant one thing: It was time!
Amidst an apocalyptic thrashing in the latter part of the game, Martin Odegaard and his men could really see light at the end of tunnel. But somehow, the spotlight’s shadow was of Neymar’s. The Nyland-show proved to be the difference and it was old news by then, but as the clock was ticking, the restlessness in the Selecao dugout definitely breathed imminence.
History will therefore have an important chapter which will sing the song of undefeated tale of the Vikings, but will surely outline the last touch of the Brazilian prince.