João Cancelo Defends Ronaldo and Neymar Amid World Cup Scrutiny
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 scrutiny on Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar at this World Cup is not just excessive. It is misplaced.
Speaking as debate rages around both stars, Cancelo dismissed the noise.
“I don't think Neymar or Cristiano need to prove anything to anyone,” he told reporters, cutting straight through the swirl of criticism.
Ronaldo, now 41, has been hammered in sections of the media after a flat display in Portugal’s opening match, a 1-1 draw with Congo DR. Every miscontrol, every heavy touch, every missed half-chance has been replayed and re-analysed as evidence that time has finally caught up with him.
Cancelo is having none of it.
“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.”
The numbers back him up. Ronaldo has joined Argentina captain Lionel Messi as only the second player ever to appear at six World Cups. He remains the men’s all-time leading international scorer, with 143 goals for Portugal since his debut in 2003. That haul stretches across generations of team-mates and tactical eras, yet the expectation remains the same: he must still decide games, still dominate tournaments.
Neymar faces a different kind of storm. The Brazil forward, 34, has not kicked a ball at this World Cup so far, sidelined by a calf injury that kept him out of his country’s first two group matches. His mere presence in the squad has been questioned by critics who argue Brazil should have turned to a fully fit option instead of gambling on a recovering superstar.
On paper, his case is just as compelling. Neymar is Brazil’s all-time leading scorer, with 79 goals in 128 appearances. His last outing for the Seleção ended in agony: an ACL tear in October 2023 while on international duty. Since then, his every step back towards the pitch has been watched, doubted, dissected.
Yet inside the game, respect runs deep.
Hendry relishes another crack at Neymar
Jack Hendry knows exactly what it feels like to stand opposite Neymar and try to shut him down. He has done it before. He would happily do it again.
The Scotland defender, now 31, could face the Brazilian in a World Cup clash on Wednesday, with the sides set to meet in Group C in Miami. Neymar missed Brazil’s first two group fixtures with that calf problem, but head coach Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed he is fit to play against the Scots.
If that sounds like a daunting prospect, Hendry is not showing it.
At Scotland’s training base in Charlotte, North Carolina, he was asked about the possibility of another duel with the Brazilian star. His response came with a shrug.
“Yeah, no problem. Obviously, he was out in the league I was in [in Saudi Arabia],” Hendry said, as if discussing a routine assignment rather than one of the game’s most gifted forwards.
“I'm quite comfortable coming up against Neymar and I look forward to it, it really should be a good battle.”
Hendry’s confidence is grounded in experience. As a Club Brugge player in the 2021-22 season, he faced Neymar in the Champions League when the Brazilian formed part of a Paris Saint-Germain front line that also boasted Messi and Kylian Mbappé.
“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 demands of that night clearly.
“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.
“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.
“You learn a lot from these moments, playing against these top calibre players.”
Their paths almost crossed more often. When Hendry moved to Al-Ettifaq in 2023, Neymar soon arrived in Saudi Arabia as well, signing for Al-Hilal. The Brazilian’s ACL injury curtailed that chapter and limited the chances of a domestic rivalry. Neymar has since returned to Brazil with Santos, but the World Cup has brought the possibility of a renewed battle.
“I think he got injured out in Saudi, he did his ACL, which was unfortunate, obviously I would have played against him more,” Hendry said.
Now, the stage is set again. A resurgent Scotland, a Brazil side waiting for their talisman, and a defender who refuses to be overawed.
“So I look forward to it and we'll see if he plays.”
As the debate rages around the legacies of Ronaldo and Neymar, those who share the pitch with them sound far less conflicted. The respect is clear. The challenge is welcome. The question, as this World Cup gathers pace, is whether two of football’s great headline acts still have one more defining act left in them.
