Brazil’s second group-stage match against Haiti drew enormous anticipation. As The Guardian noted, Neymar’s presence in the squad is itself something of a twist of fate — he would likely not be in North America had Real Madrid’s Rodrygo been fit, but the winger is instead recovering from an ACL injury. Brazilian President Lula even weighed in with a sardonic quip, calling Neymar “the first home-office call-up” who “isn’t even playing.”
Rodrygo, for his part, has been writing thoughtful columns from the sidelines about the weight of wearing the famous yellow shirt. “The pressure exists solely because of the greatness of our football, the titles we’ve won, and our historic standing in the sport,” he wrote. “A barrage of criticism isn’t the end of the world, just as a massive wave of praise doesn’t mean everything is perfect.”
