Brazil looks to be an early favorite for the World Cup next summer, but superstar Neymar has pointed out that coach Luiz Felipe Scolari may have a hard time selecting his top 23 players.
"We were joking around with (goalkeeper) Julio Cesar and already congratulating him (for being guaranteed a spot on the World Cup team)," Neymar said following Brazil's 3-1 win over Portugal, according to ESPN. "I think everyone is on the right path, but we know that only 23 will be chosen, unhappily it can't be more. We have so many good players who deserve to be in the World Cup. If it were possible, 50 players would be called up."
Neymar is sure to be one of the 23 men as he has been a dominant force for his nation since July when he dominated the Confederations Cup. He scored four goals, including a huge one in the final against Spain, on his way to winning the tournament MVP and casting aside doubts of his superstar status.
His terrific play continued this weekend when he helped Brazil to a 6-0 win over Australia. On Tuesday, Neymar was the catalyst in Brazil's 3-1 win over Portugal; he scored a goal off a brilliant solo effort and helped setup the other two tallies.
Many other cast members are also locks to make the team including Thiago Silva, Dani Alves, Marcelo, David Luiz, Paulinho and Ramires. However, Oscar, who was a major force in the Confederations Cup, was left on the bench for most of this weekend, and Fred, another top performance at the Confederations Cup, was also left out. Maicon was reinserted in the absence of Alves, but he will have to fight for his spot after an inconsistent weekend.
Two wildcards that could still make the team include Ronaldinho and Kaka. The former is coming off a historic Copa Libertadores championship victory, but does not seem to have the attention of Scolari. Meanwhile, Kaka is set to be a leader for AC Milan. If he regains his form, the 31-year-old could get a serious look from the Brazilian coach to help out the forward corps.
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