Brazil are blessed with such a wealth of attacking options that manager Tite will be forced to leave some wonderfully talented players out of his final squad for World Cup 2022, but it seems he is already settled on his first-choice penalty taker.
While many are unsure of selection and will continue to battle for their place over the coming weeks, Neymar is guaranteed a spot and penalty-taking duties as well. The 30-year-old has occasionally flattered to deceive for Paris Saint-Germain, and missed a lot of matches through injury, but has consistently delivered for his country.
He already has a remarkable 74 goals from 119 appearances, just three short of Pele’s record as the most prolific Brazilian goalscorer of all time.
Neymar will hope to overtake the legendary Pele later this year on the way to winning a first major trophy for his country. Although the Confederations Cup and an Olympic gold medal were welcome honours, the World Cup and Copa America have brought only disappointment so far.
Last summer Brazil were unable to make home advantage count in a tournament played behind closed doors, losing the final to fierce rivals Argentina. Neymar scored twice, including a penalty in a 3-0 win over Venezuela, and continues to show great composure and technique from the spot.
He has successfully converted 19 out of 22 penalties for Brazil and last missed one in a friendly against Japan five years ago.
This summer Neymar tucked away three during a trip to the Far East, starting with a well-taken brace against South Korea. Both times his slow and exaggerated run-up helped to deceive the goalkeeper, enabling him to calmly slide the ball into the opposite corner.
Brazil are amongst the favourites to win the upcoming World Cup, putting an end to their 20-year drought.
Ranked as the top country in the world by FIFA, they expect to progress from a group containing Switzerland, Serbia and Cameroon with minimal fuss.
