Messi wants Neymar at World Cup despite injury concerns

Lionel Messi has said Neymar remains among football’s elite and expressed hope that the Brazil forward will recover in time for next month’s FIFA World Cup.

Neymar, Brazil’s all-time leading scorer, has been sidelined from international duty since October 2023 after suffering a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament during a World Cup qualifier against Uruguay. His injury troubles have persisted since returning to his boyhood club Santos, restricting him to 12 appearances across all competitions this year, following 28 matches in 2025.

“We want the best players to be there [at the World Cup], and Neymar, regardless of his form, will always be one of them,” Messi said on the Lo Del Pollo show. “It would be wonderful to see him at the World Cup because of what he represents for Brazil and for football. I hope he can be there, though I can’t be objective - for me, he always has to be there.”

Messi and Neymar were teammates at FC Barcelona from 2013 to 2017 and later reunited at Paris Saint-Germain between 2021 and 2023. Messi acknowledged that their close friendship affects his neutrality.

“I can’t be objective. Neymar is a friend. Obviously, I would love for him to be at the World Cup and for good things to happen to him because he deserves it as a person. I hope he can make it,” he added.

Messi also praised Neymar’s personality, saying: “He has a very special charisma. He doesn’t pretend - he lives his life according to how he feels, without worrying about the consequences. He’s happy and very natural.”

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner noted that Argentina will face a tough challenge defending its 2022 World Cup title, identifying Spain, France and Brazil as leading contenders.

“We know the World Cup is always very difficult because of the quality of the teams involved,” the 38-year-old said. “We have to remain hopeful, as Argentines always are in official competitions like the Copa America or the World Cup, but we must also recognise that there are other teams ahead of us who are currently in better form,” he added.