Neymar is not playing for Brazil at the 2024 Copa America, but he is close to the national team, attending its games in the United States. In the meantime, Rodrygo is wearing the emblematic No. 10 shirt during Ney’s absence, which makes the Al Hilal star proud.
In fact, the former Barcelona winger believes Rodrygo is the Selecao’s best player right now, placing the 23-year-old above compatriot and Real Madrid teammate Vinicius Junior.
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“Brazil’s key player? I think Rodrygo. Vini will certainly do what he knows but Rodrygo… I think he is very different. He is a craque & the #10 shirt will give him a lot of luck,” Neymar said.
At 32, Neymar knows his career is coming to an end, while he sees a new generation of Brazilian stars taking center stage. Rodrygo, who also started his career at Santos, is one of the faces of this new generation, and he definitely has Ney’s blessing.
🎙️NEYMAR JR:
“Brazil’s key player? I think Rodrygo. Vini will certainly do what he knows but Rodrygo… I think he is very different. He is a craque & the #10 shirt will give him a lot of luck.” pic.twitter.com/KMUCJaVpeU
— Ginga Bonito 🇧🇷 (@GingaBonitoHub) June 24, 2024
Rodrygo opens up on relationship with Neymar
Rodrygo also had kind words for his idol, claiming the Brazil’s No. 10 still belongs to Ney.
“I always try to make this clear to him, that even though I’m wearing the #10 shirt now, it’s his shirt. I’m just substituting for a moment. We are waiting. Whenever I talk about Neymar, I will talk with a smile on my face, with a sparkle in my eyes. He’s my idol, he’s the guy I like watching play football the most. So we were talking, I think he should go to training, or come here to the hotel someday. I will definitely pick up some tips. Neymar is the best we have, so we always have to learn from the best.”
