Lotar Matteus Neymar's actions cheered Brazil's defeat
German football legend Lothar Matthäus expressed satisfaction with Brazil's national team exiting the World Cup, as reported by Zamin.uz.
He criticized team captain Neymar and his on-field conduct, accusing the forward of personal selfishness. In an article prepared for Sky Germany, Matthäus provided a detailed analysis of Brazil's defeat to Norway in the quarterfinals.
This was reported by Goal.com. According to Matthäus, Brazil's elimination from the tournament was a fair outcome.
The former German footballer said he was pleased with Brazil's loss, as it highlighted the team's unnecessary time-wasting and excessive gesturing on the pitch. He also paid special attention to the penalty situation involving Neymar at the end of the match.
In the final minutes of the game, with Brazil trailing by one goal, the referee awarded a penalty against the opposing team. Before and after taking the kick, Neymar engaged in a prolonged exchange with the goalkeeper.
Matthäus emphasized that instead of saving time and resuming play quickly, Neymar placed his personal image above the team's interests. He preferred arguing with the goalkeeper over taking the penalty swiftly.
This behavior negatively affected the team's morale and became one of the main reasons for the defeat. In this context, Matthäus compared Brazil to the French national team.
He believes that stars like Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé in the French squad have already understood that teamwork is the key to success. Matthäus separately acknowledged that France wins its matches precisely through teamwork rather than individual brilliance.
The Norwegian national team, in turn, secured its first-ever World Cup quarterfinal appearance in history thanks to this victory. The Scandinavians were led by Erling Haaland, who scored twice and became the match's hero.
Additionally, goalkeeper Orjan Nyland made several crucial saves to keep his team in the game. For Brazil, this loss marked another failure in a string of disappointments.
The criticism surrounding Neymar is expected to persist for a long time within the sports community.
