Brazil's 'superstar' Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain), who is clashing with the Korean national soccer team in the round of 16 of the 2022 Qatar World Cup, announced a sortie with the aftermath of his injury largely undetectable.
The Brazilian national soccer team had their last official training in preparation for the World Cup Round of 16 against Korea at the Al Arabi SC Stadium in Doha, Qatar on the afternoon of the 4th (local time, 4:00 am on the 6th, Doha 974 Stadium).
Neymar, who injured his ankle at the beginning of the tournament, is at the greatest risk as South Korea, which has dramatically advanced to the round of 16 by winning a come-from-behind victory over Portugal, a strong player in Europe, faces Brazil, the top contender in the FIFA rankings, in the final match of the group stage. has emerged as an interest.
Neymar, who injured his right ankle in the first group match against Serbia on the 24th of last month, did not participate in team training as well as the second and third group matches.
At a press conference held prior to the day's training, Brazilian coach Chichi showed a reserved attitude toward Neymar, saying, "If I feel good after the last training session, I will play tomorrow. I'm not making a judgment right now." Silva (Chelsea) even said he would play.
In the official training that followed, 23 of the 26 entries, excluding Alex Tellis (Sevilla) and Gabriel Jesus (Arsenal), who were confirmed to miss the remaining tournament due to injury, Alex Sandro (Juventus), who seemed unlikely to make it to the round of 16, participated. I did.
Neymar, who had been shown a video showing a strong shot using both feet freely during team training held the day before, did not appear to be hindered by an injury on this day.
He practiced warming up by turning the ball around in a circle, and checked his body condition by lifting the ball in various parts.
He also handled his right-footed kick without difficulty.
Afterwards, Neymar digested all the sprints and mini-games divided into two teams according to the coach's instructions.
As in the video released the day before, he showed off his powerful shooting.
Overall, Neymar, with a bright expression, continued training in a relaxed atmosphere, playing around with his teammates.
The Brazilian national team is warming up in a formal stadium rather than a small training ground during this World Cup.
On this day, close to 200 people gathered in the official training session, including reporters from other countries, as well as Brazil and Korea.
(Photo = Yonhap News)