In 2002, Brazil won the Football World Cup for the fifth time in its history thanks to geniuses such as Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Rivaldo. Author of five goals during the tournament, Rivaldo was one of the great architects of this success.
However, more than twenty years after this memorable performance, current Brazilian star Neymar seems to have minimized the contribution of the former FC Barcelona striker. During an interview with Brazilian legend Romário, Neymar, asked about the player whose place he could have taken in the world champion Seleção in 2002, replied: “Rivaldo”, specifying that he did not want to touch Ronaldo Nazário nor Ronaldinho.
On his Instagram account, Rivaldo, Ballon d’Or 1999, was quick to react:
“I heard Neymar say that at his peak, he could have played in my place for the 2002 World Cup. Honestly, I recognize his talent and his quality, and I even believe that he could have been part of this national team, but playing in my place is another story,” he said, before adding:
-“With all the respect and admiration I have for him, I can say 100% that this would not happen. At the time, I was so focused, determined and hungry to win the world title, that no one, no matter how good, could have taken my place. I say it with a lot of love and respect, but also with the confidence of someone who lived this moment and knows how hard it was to fight to become world champion. »
Visibly annoyed, Rivaldo concluded with these words, to which Neymar quickly responded.
“Relax, my friend… All the Brazilian players who played in the World Cup were 100% dedicated and focused… Some reached the ultimate goal, others unfortunately didn’t, and that’s part of football. I have always respected you and I will never take credit for what you represent for Brazilian football. It was just a choice to make among the three of you, and I didn’t want to answer Ronaldo or Ronaldinho,” said the current Al Hilal striker in Saudi Arabia.
