Ancelotti’s World Cup gamble on Neymar shows Brazil still desperate for own Messi | Jonathan Wilson

Selecting a creaking talent underlines the political demands even the most successful coach in Champions League history cannot escape When Neymar was 18, he made his debut for Brazil as part of the rejuvenation of the national squad after the disappointment of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. At the time, Lionel Messi was 23, obviously a star, and Brazil had to have their equivalent. Neymar has been trying to escape the Argentinian’s shadow ever since. Even the news that Carlo Ancelotti ha...

By Jonathan Wilson