Brazil's five World Cup titles are most all time, and it's no coincidence that it has produced some of the best soccer players to ever play 'jogo bonito,' the beautiful game. Pele is a consensus No. 1 on the list of the greatest Brazlian players, but where do Ronaldinho, Ronaldo and 26-year-old Neymar rank?
“Crying and tears may be favored by natural selection because they bring about helping behavior by the spectator. This helping behavior is explained by the assumption that crying and tears ‘imitate’ some of the perceivable characteristics of a baby that has just been born.” — Frans Roes
Neymar had a rough start to the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Against Switzerland he was pounded with repeated fouls in an eventual disappointing draw. Against Costa Rica, the Concacaf side frustrated Neymar and his teammates for 90 minutes, Brazil’s star man even attempting an ill-fated flop or two. In the end, thanks in part to Philippe Coutinho, Brazil prevailed and we got to see some sweet Neymar skills in the final minutes.
Neymar net worth and salary is pretty astounding for a 26-year-old. According to Forbes, the Brazilian forward takes home an annual paycheck of roughly $90 million per year. The former Barcelona attacker shocked the world with his record-shattering transfer to Paris Saint-Germain, and he’s taking home massive wages from both his club side and his bevy of sponsors and endorsements.
Brazil fans may want to look away. After being held out of practice on Monday, the latest Neymar injury update saw the world’s most expensive player limp off after just 15 minutes of practice on Tuesday.
After being given a day off, Neymar was spotted limping out of Brazil training. pic.twitter.com/seqAqCGBUG
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) June 19, 2018
This Father's Day, we celebrate the World Cup's most celebrated dads. Here are the fathers of the World Cup!
After Messi, Thiago & Mateo are best. The have Messi's DNA. No debate. pic.twitter.com/AQwGAmLkSj
— Leo (@LeoKawsar10) June 9, 2018
While World Cup expectations can vary from country to country and player to player, every individual who puts on his national team jersey feels pressure to perform for his country.
In spite of this, there are some generational talents who will be responsible for carrying the hopes of an entire nation this summer. Here's a list of the players under the most pressure for Russia 2018.