João Cancelo Defends Ronaldo and Neymar Amid Criticism

João Cancelo has stepped firmly into the line of fire to defend two of modern football’s biggest lightning rods. For the Portugal full-back, the criticism raining down on Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar at this World Cup is noise, not analysis.

Ronaldo, now 41 and still leading the line for his country, was hammered after a flat display in Portugal’s opening 1-1 draw with Congo DR. Neymar, 34, has not kicked a ball yet in Brazil’s campaign because of a calf injury, and his mere presence in the squad has been turned into a debate.

Cancelo isn’t having it.

“I don't think Neymar or Cristiano need to prove anything to anyone,” he told reporters, brushing aside the swirl of opinion around both men. Their careers, he argued, are the only evidence that matters. “Their talent and what they've achieved in football speak for themselves. All that talk is just for show. Both Cristiano and Neymar know who they are and what they represent for their countries."

It is hard to argue with the numbers. Ronaldo has joined Argentina captain Lionel Messi as the only players ever to appear at six World Cups. He remains the men’s all-time leading international scorer, with 143 goals since his debut in 2003. Every touch is now judged, every miscontrol framed as a symbol of decline, yet he still carries Portugal’s armband and their expectations.

Neymar’s story at this tournament is different but just as fraught. Brazil’s record scorer, with 79 goals in 128 appearances, has not played for his country since tearing his ACL in October 2023 on international duty. He arrived at this World Cup still working back from that devastating injury, his calf problem delaying his return yet again. For some, that was reason enough to question his call-up. For Cancelo, it only underlines what Brazil still think he can offer.

While the debate rages around the two superstars, one defender is quietly relishing the possibility of facing one of them again.

Jack Hendry is not flinching at the thought of Neymar running at him on Wednesday, when Scotland meet Brazil in a Group C clash in Miami. If anything, the Scotland centre-back sounds almost eager.

“Yeah, no problem,” he said calmly at Scotland’s training base in Charlotte, North Carolina, when asked about a potential reunion. “Obviously, he was out in the league I was in [in Saudi Arabia]. I'm quite comfortable coming up against Neymar and I look forward to it, it really should be a good battle.”

Neymar missed Brazil’s first two group games with that calf issue, but head coach Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed he is fit to play against the Scots. Suddenly, Hendry’s “good battle” looks very real.

The pair have crossed paths before. In the 2021-22 season, Hendry’s Club Brugge met Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, with Neymar flanked by Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé in one of the most star-studded forward lines the competition has seen.

“I played against him in the Champions League when he was at PSG, obviously that was a good test,” Hendry recalled. “Obviously the front three at that time were Messi, Mbappé and Neymar. It's a not bad front three so it was a good experience.”

He remembers the contest clearly, if not the exact scoreline. “I think the first game, we did well. I think maybe 0-0 or 1-1, I can't remember, but I think that was one of the first games they played together.”

For a defender, those are the nights that harden you. One lapse, one misread movement, and you pay for it.

“So you need to be concentrated, playing against these kind of players, because one split second you switch off, they can punish you, so it was a good experience,” Hendry said. “You learn a lot from these moments, playing against these top calibre players.”

Their paths nearly converged more often. When Hendry moved to Al-Ettifaq in 2023, Neymar also headed to Saudi Arabia with a move to Al-Hilal. The Brazilian’s ACL tear cut short that chapter, and he has since returned to Santos, leaving the hypothetical duels in the Gulf largely unrealised.

“I think he got injured out in Saudi, he did his ACL, which was unfortunate, obviously I would have played against him more,” Hendry noted.

Now the stage shifts to Miami, with Scotland chasing a statement result and Brazil weighing up how much to risk their returning icon. Cancelo insists Neymar doesn’t need to prove a thing. Hendry, on the other hand, sounds ready for Neymar to try.