Even in defeat, is Neymar the best in the world?

After a long Covid-19 hiatus, the Brazil Sports newsletter returns. With the European season brought to a close by the Champions League final, we look at chances Neymar has of being named World Player of the Year. Ronaldinho is set to return to Brazil after five months in custody in Paraguay, and the Brazilian FA pretends Covid-19 never happened with its bonkers football schedule for 2021. Enjoy your read!

Another score to settle for Neymar

Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain battled it out for the Champions League trophy on Sunday, but many had this game billed differently: for them, it was Robert Lewandowski v. Neymar, a straight showdown between two forwards for the title of The Best Fifa Men’s Player award, set to be announced later this year. As it happened, this meeting of the two leading candidates for football’s biggest individual honor ended with Neymar in tears.

Neither player made an unquestionable case for winning the award, but the 28-year-old Brazilian striker certainly hurt his own chances with a largely anonymous display, as the German champions ground out PSG with a commanding and assured 1-0 win. Now, Neymar reaches another fork in his professional career, which has been one of the most fascinating trajectories to follow in recent years.

What went wrong? Neymar was quiet in Sunday’s match, but credit for this must go to Bayern Munich, who rarely allowed PSG’s forwards a way into the game. Regardless of the circumstances or the opposition, however, the significance of an underwhelming display at this point in Neymar’s career cannot be understated.

Third time still unlucky. In three years at Paris Saint-Germain, the Champions League trophy has eluded Neymar. His first two seasons saw him sidelined with injury as his teammates were dumped out in the knockout rounds. This year, he was almost as absent once again as PSG failed to win the top prize.

What now? Fans and pundits may be quick to jump to the conclusion that Neymar has run his course at the Paris club, suggesting he now look for pastures new. However, an exit now seems unlikely. With two years left on his contract, he carries a market value of USD 151.5 million, and PSG’s Qatari owners are unlikely to let him go for anything less...