Japan – Neymar's favorite "prey"?

After an absence of nearly 1,000 days, Neymar has officially returned to the Brazilian national team. The 34-year-old striker made his World Cup 2026 debut in the 3-0 victory against Scotland and is now focusing his attention on the clash with his favorite opponent – ​​Japan – in the Round of 16.

Japan – Neymar 's favorite "prey"?

No team has conceded more goals from Neymar than Japan. The Brazilian superstar has scored 9 goals against the Land of the Rising Sun. Peru is second with 6 goals, followed by Bolivia, Ecuador, and the USA, each conceding 5 goals from him.

Neymar is currently the greatest goalscorer in the history of the Brazilian national team with 79 goals in 129 matches, two more than the legendary Pele. He made his debut for the Selecao in 2010 at the age of 18 years and 6 months. Now 34 years old, Neymar has joined the ranks of Pele, Ronaldo , and Cafu to become one of the very few Brazilian players to have participated in four World Cups.

Neymar. Photo: AP.

Neymar's first encounter with Japan was on October 16, 2012, in a friendly match in Poland. Brazil won 4-0, with Neymar scoring a brace – one from a penalty and another from an assist by Oscar – and also assisting Kaka's goal. He was only 20 years old at the time and still playing for Santos, the club he will return to in 2025. Brazilian media quickly hailed Neymar as a "prodigy."

The second encounter took place in the opening match of the 2013 Confederations Cup on June 15th in Brasilia. Neymar scored in the 3rd minute with a stunning volley from outside the penalty area. This goal was later voted by fans as Neymar's best goal for Brazil in a 2020 survey by Globo Esporte. Coach Luiz Felipe Scolari called Neymar a "star" after the match.

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Brazil subsequently won the Confederations Cup, and Neymar won the Golden Ball. He finished the tournament with 4 goals, trailing only Fernando Torres and teammate Fred in the Golden Boot race. Immediately after the tournament, Neymar joined Barcelona to begin his journey in Europe.

Neymar's most impressive performance against Japan probably came on October 14, 2014, in a friendly match in Singapore. Brazil won convincingly 4-0, with Neymar scoring all four goals and receiving assists from Diego Tardelli, Philippe Coutinho (twice), and Kaka. He even came close to completing a quintuple if his free-kick hadn't hit the crossbar.

After the match, Neymar shared: “Just thinking about it gives me goosebumps. It’s an indescribable feeling. Even in my wildest dreams, I never thought I could do this with the national team.”

This was the first time since Romario in 2000 that a Brazilian player had scored four goals in an international match. That achievement brought Neymar's total for the Selecao to 40 goals in just 58 games. At the time, coach Dunga praised his player's creativity: "He likes to play at the highest level. With Neymar, it's like playing football with friends."

Throughout his career, Neymar has scored four goals in a single match on numerous occasions, from the Brazil U20 team, Santos, Barcelona to PSG. He even scored five goals in Santos' 8-1 victory over Guarani in the 2010 Brazilian Cup. In fact, Guarani is the only team to have conceded more goals to Neymar than Japan, with a total of 10 goals.

In recent encounters, Neymar continued to score in Brazil's victories against Japan on November 10, 2017 (3-1) and June 6, 2022 (1-0), when he was still playing for PSG. These two goals brought Neymar's tally to 9 goals in just 5 matches against Japan.

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If Neymar plays in the Round of 16 match at the 2026 World Cup next Monday, it will be his sixth encounter with Japan. Brazilian fans have reason to expect that, against a familiar opponent and one of his favorite "prey," Neymar will continue to shine, contributing to the Selecao's deep run at the biggest football tournament on the planet.

Source: https://danviet.vn/nhat-ban-con-moi-ua-thich-cua-neymar-d1438806.html