The legendary Brazilian captain asserts that his compatriot possesses more tools than Messi or Ronaldo, even as the Santos forward faces an uphill battle to make the final 2026 roster
Cafu, the two-time World Cup winner and iconic former captain of the Seleção, has challenged the long-standing hierarchy of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, picking his compatriot Neymar above both of them.
While the sports world remains captivated by the “GOAT” race between the Argentine and the Portuguese stars, Cafu argues that the most gifted player of the current generation is actually back home in Brazil.
“Neymar is better than everyone else, better than Messi, Cristiano, [Kylian] Mbappé…,” Cafu told the Podpah podcast.
He was careful to distinguish between different types of greatness, acknowledging that Ronaldo’s relentless work ethic is unmatched and that Messi’s commitment carries its own unique weight.
However, when evaluating pure footballing resources and ingenuity, Cafu remains steadfast.
“[Neymar] has more tools at his disposal, without a doubt,” the former fullback explained, adding that Neymar’s “technical quality” is the decisive factor that elevates him above his peers.
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This high praise from a national legend arrives at a particularly tough moment for Neymar’s international career.
On Monday, Brazil’s head coach, Carlo Ancelotti, revealed his 26-man squad for the upcoming March friendlies against France and Croatia in the United States and Neymar’s name was once again missing.
Ancelotti, who has maintained a 100-percent fitness policy since taking the helm, clarified that the decision was based strictly on the 34-year-old’s lack of match sharpness following his return to Santos.
The Italian coach even made a point of traveling to Brazil to scout the forward in person, but a bout of muscle fatigue kept Neymar out of the specific match Ancelotti attended.
The omission has left the forward “upset and sad,” as he revealed during a recent event in São Paulo. With the final World Cup roster announcement scheduled for May 18, the March window represented the last opportunity for fringe players to integrate with the squad before the tournament begins on June 11.
Despite the setback, Neymar remains defiant about his path back to the Seleção.
“I’m going to speak out here, because I can’t just let this pass,” he told reporters. “Obviously I’m upset and sad not to have been selected. But the focus remains the same… there’s still one final squad announcement to go and the dream lives on.”