vNeymar recently shared his thoughts on the admiration Cristiano Ronaldo instills among Brazilian fans, looking a bit disappointed as he feels Brazil has its own veteran stars who don’t get the same praise as the Portuguese striker for defying Father Time.
In fact, the Santos product claims Thiago Silva doesn’t get the same credit as Ronaldo despite playing at a high level for as long as the former Real Madrid star.
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“People talk a lot about Cristiano Ronaldo obviously because he’s one of the biggest names in football but we have a Brazilian that’s practically the same age if I’m not wrong in Thiago Silva. He’s still playing at a high level today. This is something that I think is missing in us Brazilians; not looking only at our neighbour’s grass but looking at ours,” Ney told Band Sports. “Because we have idols, players with big names with big achievements that aren’t referenced the way they should be.”
At 32, Neymar was also asked if Ronaldo extending his career until his late 30s (and probably to his 40s) inspires him to push retirement for as long as possible. But unlike CR7, the Al Hilal star doesn’t plan to play for so long.
“Does Cristiano Ronaldo’s longevity make me want to play for many more years? No. I think it’s different for everyone. Cristiano Ronaldo obviously is a great example that playing football doesn’t have an age. The will is different for every player, every person. There are players that retired at 30, 33, others at 42.”
Neymar is under contract with Al Hilal until the summer of 2025, when he’ll be 33. Only time will tell us what will be next for him after then.
Remembering Zagallo
Sambafoot Series launched a new documentary about the football legend Zagallo. Known as ‘Velho Lobo‘ and as superstitious as it gets, Zagallo helped shape what Brazilian football is nowadays — as a player and as a coach.
Binge the full series, available on Sambafoot’s Youtube channel.
