Explained: Why 'superstitious' Neymar flew in personal hairdresser for fresh trim ahead of 2022 FIFA World Cup clash against South Korea
Brazil superstar Neymar Jr. has flown in his hairdresser Nariko ahead of the last-16 clash against South Korea at the 2022 FIFA World Cup on Monday, December 5.
The Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) winger is known for his superstitions. He scored a brace against South Korea when the two countries last met in a friendly in June 2022 with his hair dyed blonde.
He has decided to revert back to the same style ahead of the clash against the Asian country. Hence, he has flown his Parisian hairdresser to do his hairstyle.
Nariko, the hairstylist, wrote on his Instagram:
"The brabo with a new look for the return, go with everything brother @neymarjr #ousadia. May God bless you and our national team."
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The Brazilian no. 10 missed his team's last two clashes against Switzerland and Cameroon in the FIFA World Cup after suffering an injury against Serbia in their opening game of the tournament.
Brazil proceeded to the Round of 16 as the winners of Group G. South Korea, meanwhile, were the runners-up in Group H behind Portugal.
Brazil coach Tite speaks about Neymar's return to the 2022 FIFA World Cup
Brazil coach Tite recently spoke about Neymar's return to the team for the 2022 FIFA World cup clash against South Korea in the Round of 16. Speaking to the media, Tite said (via Sky Sports):
"If he plays, it's because he is in full health and ready to start, to play from the beginning and the entire game with no limitations. My preference is always to play my best players from the start."
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I feel good, I knew that I would now
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Full-backs Alex Sandro and Danilo are also out with injury issues. The likes of Alex Telles, Gabriel Jesus, and more are also out with injuries. Tite added that the format of the World Cup is very demanding and often drains players mentally. He added:
"The physical demand is ever increasing, the time is short, it's a cumulative effect of games and sometimes you don't have the ideal recovery time on your hands. I don't really know what to say other than that, mentally, the Cup is very demanding. It drains you. The intensity of the matches, the preparation - they are components of analysis that we have to delve into deeper, but they are all considerable."
Neymar, who is two strikes behind Pele's all-time record of 77 goals for the Selecao, will hope to go deep into the tournament and eclipse the record.