Romario doubts Neymar's World Cup impact

Rio de Janeiro - Legendary striker Romario said he doubts whether Neymar will have a decisive impact on next year’s FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

The former Barcelona star questioned whether the 21-year-old Santos striker can repeat Romario’s own effort at the 1994 World Cup, when he led the team to victory in the United States with five goals, reports Xinhua.

“Neymar can help Brazil to be champion but I don’t see him doing what I did in 1994, Pele in his three World Cups or Maradona in 1986,” Romario said Saturday.

Romario, now a federal deputy for Brazil’s Socialist Party, said the December appointment of Luiz Felipe Scolari as national coach and Carlos Alberto Parreira as his technical director were a positive step forward. Scolari coached Brazil’s triumphant 2002 World Cup-winning team while Parreira did likewise in 1994.

“Right now Brazil doesn’t have the team to win anything. But it does have time. In football a lot can change in one year, especially in the current situation because people respect the new coaching staff. I think Parreira and Felipao can help the national team. The players know that they were involved in Brazil’s most recent World Cup successes,” Romario said.