Neymar's Return: Will He Face Bolivia?

Neymar's participation in Brazil's 2022 World Cup qualifier against Bolivia was in doubt due to a back injury. The Brazilian football star had to leave a training session prematurely the day before the match, and Brazil's team doctor Rodrigo Lasmar said it was too soon to tell whether Neymar would be fit to play. Neymar has had a history of injuries, and Brazil's coach Tite said they would give him as much time as possible to recover.

Neymar's back injury could prevent him from playing

Neymars back injury could prevent him from playing

Neymar is a Brazilian football superstar who plays as a forward for the national team and for PSG at club level. Neymar has been an integral part of the Brazilian national team since 2010, scoring 77 goals in 124 games. However, his back injury could prevent him from playing in the upcoming World Cup qualifier against Bolivia.

Neymar's Back Injury

Neymar suffered a back injury during training before Brazil's World Cup qualifier against Bolivia in October 2020. The injury flared up before training on Wednesday, and he had to leave the session early due to back pain. Brazil's team doctor, Rodrigo Lasmar, stated that Neymar had already started receiving treatment, but it was too soon to determine whether he would be fit for the game. Lasmar noted that the next 24 hours would be crucial to assess his recovery progress.

Impact on Brazil's World Cup Qualification Campaign

Neymar's potential absence could be a significant blow to Brazil's World Cup qualification campaign. Going into the match, Brazil had already lost two starters for the opening rounds: goalkeeper Alisson and striker Gabriel Jesus, both due to injuries. Without Neymar, Brazil's Copa America championship-winning team would be missing three key players.

Neymar's History with Back Injuries

Unfortunately, this was not the first time Neymar had suffered a back injury during a crucial stage of a competition. In the 2014 FIFA World Cup, during a quarter-final game against Colombia, Neymar was on the receiving end of a brutal challenge from Juan Zuniga, who dug his knee into Neymar's back. This injury forced Neymar out of the remainder of the tournament and resulted in a broken bone in his back.

Recovery and Outlook

Despite the seriousness of his injury, Neymar was expected to make a full recovery. Brazil's doctor, Jose Luiz Runco, estimated that Neymar could potentially return to action within 45 days. While this timeline was positive, it meant that Neymar would likely miss multiple games for both his club and country.

Brazil's predicted starting XI

Brazil's starting XI for their 2026 World Cup qualifier against Bolivia was as follows:

• Ederson (GK)
• Danilo
• Gabriel
• Marquinhos
• Lodi
• Casemiro
• Guimaraes
• Raphinha
• Neymar
• Rodrygo
• Richarlison

The team was led by interim head coach Fernando Diniz, who took over following Brazil's quarter-final exit from the 2022 World Cup. He is expected to be replaced by Carlo Ancelotti at the end of the club season.

Brazil's star forward Neymar was included in the starting lineup, despite not having played for his new club Al-Hilal due to an ankle injury. The 31-year-old had been suffering from back pain, which had kept him out of most of Brazil's matches the previous year. However, he was given time to recover and was able to start the match against Bolivia.

Bolivia's predicted starting XI

Bolivia's starting lineup for their 2026 World Cup qualifier against Brazil was as follows:

Viscarra (GK) — Bejarano, Medina, Quinteros, Jusino, R. Fernandez — Arrascaita, M. Suarez, Cespedes, Villamil, — M. Martins.

This saw manager Gustavo Costas opt for a 5-4-1 formation, with captain Marcelo Moreno starting on the bench.

Goalkeeper Viscarra and defenders Bejarano, Medina, Quinteros, and Jusino formed a back five. R. Fernandez played as a defensive midfielder, with Arrascaita and M. Suarez occupying central midfield roles. Cespedes and Villamil played as wingers, supporting the lone striker M. Martins.

This lineup was chosen to try and contain Brazil's attacking threat, with a focus on defensive solidity. However, Bolivia ultimately lost the match 5-1, with Brazil's superior quality and depth of talent proving decisive.

Brazil's recent form

Brazil's form in 2023 has been mocked by Ibis, the self-proclaimed "worst team in the world". After a recent upturn in form, they joked: "We have more victories in 2023 than the Seleção." Brazil's defeat in Colombia made unwanted history – after losing 2-0 in Uruguay the previous month, they had lost back-to-back World Cup qualifiers for the first time. They could only draw with Venezuela in their previous game.

Brazil's coach, Fernando Diniz, is unconcerned by these short-term results. He is focused on a long-term project to rediscover the "essence" of Brazilian football. His playing style is unorthodox: he takes the chaos of Brazilian street football and expands it into an 11-a-side version at the highest level of the sport, where advanced tactical systems are more common. Diniz's ideas have been dismissed as fantasy and even madness by some. However, his philosophy has delivered big wins, as demonstrated by Fluminense's recent high-profile victories.

Despite Brazil's poor results, they will still qualify from their World Cup qualifying group as they only need to finish in the top six of South America's 10-team qualifying group. Diniz's focus seems to be more on aesthetics than results – a re-imagining of what it means to play in an authentically "Brazilian" way. He has admitted that he wants to "correct the defensive aspects" of his team, and he is confident that the results will follow.

Bolivia's recent form

Bolivia's national football team, nicknamed "La Verde", has been competing in men's international football since 1926. They have a history of struggling to make an impact in the World Cup, having only qualified twice (in 1930, 1950, and 1994) and never advancing past the first round. Their greatest World Cup achievement was in 1994 when they beat Brazil 2-0 in the qualifiers and finished second in their group. However, in the tournament proper, they lost all their group stage matches and were eliminated.

In other competitions, Bolivia has had more success. They won the Copa América in 1963, which they hosted, and finished as runners-up in 1997. In 2015, they reached the quarter-finals of the Copa América for the first time since 1997, defeating Ecuador 3-2.

More recently, Bolivia has shown some signs of improvement. On March 28, 2023, they registered their first-ever away win against a World Cup team in the 21st century, beating Saudi Arabia 2-1 in a friendly. Additionally, in their previous World Cup qualifier on September 5, 2024, they defeated Venezuela by a score of 4-0. Bolivia's upcoming match is against Chile on September 10, 2024.

While Bolivia has had some notable achievements in their football history, their recent form has been mixed. They have shown potential with wins against Venezuela and Saudi Arabia, but their performance in the 2024 Copa América was disappointing, losing all their games in the tournament.

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