World Cup 2018: 4 reasons why Neymar will win with Brazil
It was heartbreak for Brazil and talisman Neymar when they hosted the last edition of the FIFA World Cup in 2014.
Although Brazil had an unforgettable journey up till the quarterfinals against their South American counterparts Colombia, what followed the win against the Colombians was a nightmare for all Brazilian football enthusiasts.
Well here they are in 2018, with a more challenging and exciting squad which could take them all the way to the top of the World in Moscow. Let us now look at why King Neymar will be successful with Selecao this time in Russia.
#1 Less pressure on him this time
A 21 year old Neymar carried the expectations of his Nation on his shoulders back in 2013 at the FIFA Confederations Cup, and delivered the title in style at the iconic Maracana, in front of thousands of roaring Brazilians.
The following year, burdens and expectations on Neymar were extremely high during Brazil's first ever FIFA World Cup since 1950.
He repaid the fans' faith until the unfortunate injury he sustained in the quarterfinals against Brazil's South American counterparts, Colombia.
This ruled him out of the semifinals against Germany, in which the hosts were humiliated by a margin of 1-7 by the eventual winners. Brazil put up one their worst performances in recent years during the high-voltage clash.
Though they had several big names in their 2014 World Cup squad, they were highly dependent on Neymar in almost all matches to deliver in front of the goal.
Though he did his best for Brazil, scoring four goals in five appearances (three group matches, Round of 16 and quarterfinal) that won him the Bronze Boot for tournament's third highest goal scorer, it wasn't enough for the Selecao who missed him the most in the semi-finals.
But this time, with players like Philippe Coutinho, Casemiro, Roberto Firmino, Gabriel Jesus and Douglas Costa, the pressure on Neymar to deliver won't be the same.
These players have the capability to step up and aid Neymar to play his natural game without single-handedly carrying the burdens and expectations. This will surely bring the best out of one of the best players in the world.