By Max Mallow
Brazil began its Copa America 2024 campaign with a disappointing, scoreless draw against Costa Rica in Group D.
Brazil has made back-to-back Copa America finals coming into this year's competition. The team is stacked with star players from across Europe's top leagues, but one player is notably absent: Neymar Jr. The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain star was pictured in the stands supporting his country. There's a video of the winger looking visibly confused when Dorival Junior substituted Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr. in the 71st minute.
Some might be wondering why Neymar Jr. isn't playing with the team, let alone on the bench.
The Al Hilal player suffered an ACL injury last October in a World Cup qualifier match against Uruguay and he's still recovering. Copa America is a trophy that continues to elude Neymar Jr. When The Seleaco last won the competition in 2019, Neymar was out with an ankle injury.
Brazil has two more fixtures in Group D: Paraguay and Colombia. Even after a frustrating performance against Costa Rica, the team is still figured to be one of the two favorites to lift the trophy alongside Argentina. Though, the team must improve if it is to go deep in the tournament. Brazil was already under scrutiny after drawing 1-1 to USA in a friendly heading into the tournament.
Neymar Jr. isn't the only notable player not included in this year's Copa America squad. Manchester United's Casemiro and Arsenal's Gabriel Jesus were not selected by Dorivial Junior. Though, it's not like the team is lacking top players. Brazil is a tournament favorite for a reason. Though, things can go wrong quickly in a group stage. The draw against Costa Rica must not be a precursor of things to come. It has to be a speed bump that the team gets over quickly.
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This article was originally published on 90min.com as Why is Neymar Jr. not playing for Brazil in Copa America 2024?.
