Neymar has injured his ACL and will be out for approximately the next 9 months. The Al Hilal player is already 31 years old and is nearing the end of his career. Citing his latest injury, it won’t be shocking if the player might have to retire as well. With the end likely near, critics and pundits debate how impactful has Neymar’s spell in soccer been. A former Premier League icon shares his take as he suggests that the Brazilian international hasn’t been good enough.

Be it good or bad, Neymar has always been on the receiving end of the stick. Even after he broke Pele’s decades old record, there was no love from the critics. Instead, more debates were held on his impact and a few comparisons to Ronaldinho were made.

Neymar never helped Brazil’s cause

In a discussion, former Liverpool defender, Steve Nicol, shares his take on the Brazil No. 10 as he minces no words on why Ney should not be starting for Brazil.

Steve Nicol, talking about Neymar’s contribution to Brazil said, “I don’t remember the last time he carried the Brazil to a victory either so he’s done nothing regardless of whether he’s injured right now or not to suggest his time at Brazil shouldn’t be over anyway. “

The former Premier League player further adds, “You could argue right now that it shouldn’t be playing for Brazil before a ball was kicked in the game. He’s not produced at the level that he was at Barcelona. Since he’s gone to PSG he’s never produced in any of the big games.” Craig Burley agreed with Nicol as he said, “I suppose the world cup should have been his swan songs. It’s going be time for them to move on.”

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However, it’s not just icons from Premier League or MLS are saying. A popular Brazilian journalist also stated reasons on similar lines while arguing why Neymar should be compared to Pele. This took place after Ney took over Pele’s record to become the highest individual scorer for Brazil National Team.

Brazilian journalists argue the same

Renato Mauricio Prado, a Brazilian journalist, highlighted the disparities between Neymar and Pele in his recent analysis. He underlined Pele’s pivotal goals and regarded Neymar’s contributions as commendable, but failing to prove anything. The Brazilian further added to his remarks as he called Neymar – not a great idol.

Brazilian Journalist Walter Casagrande took center stage as he raised questions about Neymar’s soccer acumen. He also raised questions regarding his tactical adaptability, physical fitness, and on-field performance. The columnists after analyzing the Brazilian team’s display had similar sentiments to share. He further doubted and questioned Neymar’s football intelligence, tactical adaptation, and physical condition.

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Soccer pundits Luis Garcia, Shaka Hislop, and Alejandro Moreno also debated whether Neymar or Ronaldinho had underachieved more in their careers. Hislop argued for Neymar, citing his potential and Champions League success, while Garcia suggested Ronaldinho could have achieved more with a longer career.

Be that as it may, both Al Hilal and Brazil will hope that Neymar makes a quick recovery and returns to the pitch.