World Cup: Craig Burley questions Neymar’s ability, saying he looks sluggish and off the pace

Former Chelsea midfielder Craig Burley has expressed doubts about Neymar Jr.’s ability to influence the Brazilian side after the player’s brief appearance in a 3‑0 win over Scotland on June 24.

Both supporters and pundits have highlighted the many injuries that have hampered Neymar throughout his career.

While he is widely regarded as one of the best players of his generation, some argue that he has not fully realised his potential because of the frequent absences caused by injury.

In the 76th minute of the match against Scotland, Neymar replaced Matheus Cunha, marking his first appearance for the Seleção since October 2023.

The 34‑year‑old, who is the nation’s all‑time leading scorer with 79 goals in 129 matches, was greeted with a warm ovation from the crowd at Miami Stadium.

Many fans are excited to see him back on the pitch, yet questions remain about whether he can contribute effectively to the team. Burley, who played for Chelsea from 1989 to 1997, discussed the issue during a recent segment on ESPN.

The commentator said, “When Neymar entered the game, there was considerable excitement among the crowd, both in the stadium and back in Brazil, regarding this iconic player… However, if you are João Pedro or one of the others who were left out of the squad, you might be thinking, ‘this is merely a sentimental choice.’ I understand he hasn’t had much playing time, but he appeared quite sluggish and out of sync. If Brazil needs to rely on him in the later stages of the tournament, can he genuinely come on and make a difference against stronger opponents? He even had difficulty against Scotland,” Burley added.

Brazil has earned seven points in the group stage and has advanced to the knockout phase as Group C leaders, surpassing Morocco on goal difference.