[Music] for just a reminder that on what Rodrigo had to say about Neymar being Brazil's best player uh Craig what in here rri Rodrigo quite a few things a b bring me bring me up to speed with Neymar so Rodrigo said so Neymar's coming back from an injury obviously Neymar's had a bad injury but Rodrigo still says he's the best player for Brazil and he's essential for the 2026 World Cup at 34 give or take 32 32 now huh yeah yeah 34 oh at Forward Thinking I think forward on this show I was able your fire Greg what's going on man he's going against everybody oh Greg I love it man anyway no I'm not doing that you can come in then you can come in here I heard you make I heard you make no I do make a case cuz I I agree with Rodrigo I mean and this says more about this Brazilian team today than than Neymar this this says a lot more about where Brazil is today as a program the team they have the talent level they have than Neymar himself the last time Brazil was of worth Neymar was the man he's the all-time leading goal scorer in a country that's produced players like p uh Kaka Ronaldinho Romario Ronaldo uh you look at that pool of players and if it's not Neymar the highest goal scor is going to be paketa and marinos and then after that you're grasping at straws with Vinnie Jr who doesn't show up for the Brazilian national team Rodrigo who's an afterthought Rafa who has never been impactful and you're maybe hoping that enrich can be the player that everybody thinks he can at the National Team level but it really is grasping a straws so I understand rodo sentiment for understanding that a player like Neymar with that creative ability that he has the creative ability he has in those feet if you get him anywhere near his level can unlock a Vinnie Jr can unlock a Rodrigo can unlock Rafa because certainly paketa in that middle in the Midfield cannot and he's proven it time and time again when was the last time we saw that that's a fair when was the last time we saw Neymar I mean is Neymar the new Ronaldo I mean is he the Brazilian Ronaldo Because by the time that the World Cup comes around he's 34 and we've just agre and we've just agreed we've just we've just agree that he hasn't been at his best certainly for for Brazil or anybody else over the last what 12 months 18 months so a Brazil team that if Neymar doesn't play isn't any good really is that what R is really thinking and saying is that what everybody in Brazil thinks because if they do then they're they're scuppered cuz when Neymar gets fit it's going to be a surprise if he starts doing all the things you're talking about assists and goals and being the man the whole thing cuz he hasn't been that for 18 months so what's going to be like a after he comes back from injury and even if he does and he get to the World Cup what's he going to be like in two years time and obviously playing in Saudi Arabia is going to factor into all of this as well well I think he could be the star as in he's been the star but I think Venus Jr has to be the best player and I I know he has to pick up the Baton he has to for his country the Madrid version of Vinnie Junior the very good Madrid version is is a bigger threat now than Neymar but he may not be and he hasn't been but that has to be Venus Jr's ambition to be the guy that is taking on the mantle he has the he has all the attributes to do it right all the attributes and that has to be he's got to just he's got to end it for NE in a sense by his performances where nobody people just go like that tell you what this this is the guy Now take us forward and then people will stop talking about it but he he hasn't done it yet and I would imagine the pressure playing for that country is just absolutely am man so it's not easy he he he's the guy should be taking Mario that's exactly what I wanted to say that nation is huge if you want to be a star in that country it's sometimes like I can like even me coming from a small country compared to them and I've been to that country a couple of times already and so I think when it comes to Rodrigo what he said is also in the sense of like you know like you need a player also sometimes in your team that can handle that pressure that that's why I think he highlighted Neymar because he feels like this is a kid that can literally handle whatever comes towards him that does regardless if we talking about the age group and can he still and does he want to because you also have to ask that question does he want to deliver does he wants to go all to the maximum and saying like Okay I'm going to make myself fitter Than People expect me to be so I can perform the best but yeah so that is going to be a really crucial thing because if Neyo wants to do it it's going to be a big big test for him because we for years we said it the quality and when Neymar's at his best it's a joy to watch and when he's not at his best is sometimes you watch him and you go like why man you have so much quality why so that's why I would love to see him at his best well let's hear what Dory Val jior has had to say about this situation and about Brazil in the upcoming World Cup in 2026 he says we will be in the 2026 World Cup final we will be finalists you can film me while I'm saying this I have no doubts we will be there HK so you've been in California too long favores to win the 2026 that's ridiculous well there's a lot of people in Brazil betting in favor of Brazil that's how the line is moved there I could tell you that much not because of the talent level listen the last time they were in a World Cup final they had the likes of Ronaldo Ronaldinho Roberto Carlos Emerson they had some ridiculous footballers in that pool this is not the same pool of players this is not the Brazil of old for Doral Jr who is a journeyman coach he's got more teams than I have years on this Earth to come out and say that um I think is very optimistic and and arrogant in a way that I've not seen a Brazilian be in quite some time I think the most passionate Brazilian fan will tell you this is a pool of players that lacks talent and I don't know where he thinks this team is going to make a run in an expanded field talking about managers saying that like it is I mean he's confident is it a bit too much to be say in this Stevie I I I think he's I think somebody hit a nerve and he said it and he probably regrets saying it because he should I mean they'll be they'll be at the World Cup but to turn around and say they're going to be in the final that that that's through that's through somebody hitting the nerve and you just defending yourself and responding but in the cold l a day he would he would never nobody would have said that nobody even though it was Brazil [Music]