Neymar has come out to react after Rivaldo said the Al-Hilal man wouldn’t have taken his spot at the 2002 World Cup. He recently had his say while speaking to the press, and fans have been reacting.
According to him, Rivaldo cannot say he won’t get in ahead of him at the 2002 World Cup because he is not as focused and dedicated, because every Brazilian player called up gives 100% to the national team.

Neymar added that he has always respected the legendary midfielder and he would never diminish the merit of what he brought to Brazilian football.
Rivaldo had said, “I heard @neymarjr say that in his prime, he could have played in my place at the 2002 World Cup. Honestly, I recognize his talent and quality, and I even believe he could have been in that team, but playing in my place would have been a different story. With all the respect and admiration I have for him, I can say with 100% certainty that it wouldn’t happen. At that time, I was so focused, determined and hungry to win the world title that no one, no matter how good they were at the height of their career, could take my place. I say that with a lot of love and respect, but also with the confidence of someone who lived through that moment and knows how hard I fought to become world champion.”
Neymar reacted, “Calm down, my friend. All Brazilian players who participated in the World Cup dedicated and focused 100%. Some achieved the ultimate goal, while others, unfortunately, did not, and that’s part of football. I have always respected you and will never diminish the merit of what you brought to Brazilian football. It was simply a choice among the three, and you wouldn’t want me to replace Ronaldo and Ronaldinho, right?”
WOW.
Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior (born 5 February 1992), known as Neymar Júnior or mononymously as Neymar, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal and the Brazil national team. A prolific goalscorer and playmaker, he is widely regarded as one of the best players in the world and the best Brazilian player of his generation. Neymar has scored at least 100 goals for three different clubs, making him one of the few players to achieve this feat.
Neymar came into prominence at Santos, where he made his professional debut aged 17. Soon becoming the Brazilian’s league star player, he won the 2011 Copa Libertadores, being Santos’ first since 1963. He was named the South American Footballer of the Year in 2011 and 2012, and relocated to Europe to join Barcelona in 2013.
In his second season, as part of Barcelona’s attacking trio with Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez, dubbed MSN, he won the continental treble of La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the UEFA Champions League. Motivated to be the focal player at club level, Neymar unexpectedly transferred to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in 2017 for €222 million, which made him the most expensive player ever. In his debut season, he excelled in French football, winning the league title and being voted Ligue 1 Player of the Year.
Despite recurring injuries in Paris, he helped PSG attain an historic domestic quadruple in the 2019–20 season, during which the club also reached its first ever Champions League final, with Neymar being named in the UEFA Team of the Year for the second time in his career.
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