João Cancelo Defends Ronaldo and Neymar at World Cup

João Cancelo has stepped firmly into the line of fire to defend two of modern football’s biggest lightning rods. For the Portugal full-back, the noise around Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar at this World Cup says more about the critics than the players.

Ronaldo, now 41 and still leading the line for his country, was hammered after a flat display in Portugal’s opening 1-1 draw with Congo DR. Neymar, 34, has not played a minute for Brazil in their first two games because of a calf injury, a situation that has fuelled claims he should never have been taken to the tournament.

Cancelo is having none of it.

“I don't think Neymar or Cristiano need to prove anything to anyone,” he told reporters, cutting through the debate with a simple verdict. Their careers, he argued, are the only answer required. “Their talent and what they've achieved in football speak for themselves. All that talk is just for show. Both Cristiano and Neymar know who they are and what they represent for their countries.”

It is hard to argue with the numbers. Ronaldo has joined Argentina captain Lionel Messi in an exclusive club as only the second player to appear at six World Cups. He remains the men’s all-time leading international scorer, with 143 goals since his debut for Portugal back in 2003. Every touch now is framed as a referendum on his legacy, but the record book is already written.

Neymar’s story is different but just as heavy with expectation. He stands as Brazil’s all-time leading scorer, with 79 goals in 128 appearances, yet arrives at this World Cup still fighting his body. An ACL tear on international duty in October 2023 has kept him out of action for his country ever since, and now a calf problem has delayed his return again. For some, that’s enough to question his place in the squad. For Cancelo, it simply underlines what Brazil risk losing if he is not there.

While the debate rages, one defender is quietly relishing the prospect of facing Neymar head-on.

Jack Hendry has seen this movie before. The Scotland centre-back went up against Neymar in the Champions League during his time at Club Brugge in the 2021-22 season, when the Brazilian formed part of a Paris Saint-Germain front three alongside Messi and Kylian Mbappé. For most defenders, that’s the stuff of nightmares. For Hendry, it’s a reference point.

Now 31 and with Al-Ettifaq on his CV, Hendry could meet Neymar again on the World Cup stage when Scotland face Brazil on Wednesday in Miami. Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed Neymar is fit after missing the first two Group C matches, and suddenly that right side of Scotland’s defence looks like prime real estate for a global audience.

Hendry, speaking at Scotland’s training base in Charlotte, North Carolina, barely blinked at the possibility.

“Yeah, no problem,” he said, almost casually. Neymar had been “out in the league I was in” in Saudi Arabia, he pointed out, during their overlapping spells in the country before Neymar’s return to Santos. The tone was calm, not cocky. “I'm quite comfortable coming up against Neymar and I look forward to it, it really should be a good battle.”

The respect is there. So is the edge. Hendry knows exactly what can happen if concentration slips.

He recalled that night in Europe against PSG, when the star trio were still learning each other’s movements. “I played against him in the Champions League when he was at PSG, obviously that was a good test,” Hendry said. Messi, Mbappé, Neymar. “It's a not bad front three so it was a good experience.”

Club Brugge held their own. “I think the first game, we did well. I think maybe 0-0 or 1-1, I can't remember, but I think that was one of the first games they played together.” For Hendry, that game underlined the brutal simplicity of defending at this level. “You need to be concentrated, playing against these kind of players, because one split second you switch off, they can punish you, so it was a good experience.”

Those minutes against the world’s most feared forwards, he says, stay with you. “You learn a lot from these moments, playing against these top calibre players.”

Neymar’s own path since then has been anything but smooth. His move to Al-Hilal took him into the same league as Hendry before the ACL injury cut that chapter short and eventually led him back to Santos. The body has slowed him; the scrutiny has not. Every setback becomes a fresh invitation to question his place in the game.

That is why Cancelo’s defence lands with weight inside both dressing rooms. For Portugal’s players, Ronaldo remains the standard-bearer, the man whose presence still shapes opponents’ plans. For Brazil, Neymar is the creative axis, even when he is nowhere near full tilt.

For Scotland, though, the equation is simpler. If Neymar steps on the pitch in Miami, Hendry will have to live every lesson he has just described. No margin for error. No half-steps. No second chances.

“I look forward to it,” he said. “And we'll see if he plays.”

If he does, one veteran genius will be fighting to quiet the noise, another defender will be trying to add a new chapter to his own story, and the World Cup will have exactly the kind of duel it was built for.