Brazil legend Kaka fears injury could prevent Neymar from leaving the legacy a player of his talent should hand down.
Kaka, whose stellar career peaked in 2002 when he helped his country win the World Cup hosted by Japan and South Korea, is worried that the ankle injury that forced Neymar off in the 2-0 win over Serbia last night could end his tournament.
It would be a bitter blow for Brazil to take - but Kaka feels they could still lift the trophy for a sixth time on December 18 without their talismanic No 10. Kaka said: “I hope Neymar can recover for the next game because it is very important for him and his reputation to win a World Cup.
“I hope he can recover for the next game and be ready. This tournament is the one that gives him a platform to shine - and against Serbia he certainly didn’t shine before he was injured.
“The one positive is that when he went off the pitch, Brazil played a very good game. It didn’t look like a serious injury at first. But what worries me is that Neymar always wants to play even when he is hurt.
“This time he didn’t. He wanted to come off. For me, that is very strange and it could be a problem for Brazil for the rest of the tournament.”
Kaka has called on Neymar to use the World Cup to prove that he is the rightful heir to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. The Brazil forward has never won the Ballon d’Or - and earlier this year he was left off the 30-man shortlist for the award for the first time in his career.
At the age of 30, he is running out of time to emulate what Kaka himself did in 2007. Tottenham striker Richarlison won the opening game for coach Tite’s side with two goals in 11 second-half minutes.
His second, a sensational volley on the turn after he had teed up a cross from Vinicius Jr, harked back to Kaka at his peak. Kaka, who is in Qatar working as a TV pundit, said: “It was a beautiful goal (by Richarlison) from the Brazilian tradition.
“It was important to win the first game because Brazil have never won the World Cup without gaining a victory in their opening game of the tournament.”
