Neymar wants to play for Brazil at the Tokyo Olympics

Posted Saturday, May 15, 2021 by Marca.com

The coach of the Brazilian men's Olympic football team, Andre Jardine, has confirmed that Neymar wants to represent his country in the Tokyo Games this summer.

Jardine feels that the Paris Saint-Germain would give the side a massive boost in their hopes of winning gold.

"With the intention of having the strongest team for the Olympic Games, having a player like Neymar is in line with that and with the goal that we have set for ourselves, and he wants to," Jardine said at a press conference.

Jardine admitted that having Neymar in his team at the Olympics would be "a dream" but acknowledged that his presence in the U23 side is a "sensitive issue" that "is being dealt with directly" by the president of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF), Rogerio Caboclo.

"I believe that, soon, we will have an answer on this topic," he said.

Neymar has already won the gold at the Olympic Games, in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, which was also the first such medal for the Brazilian men's section.

The matter of whether Neymar will play for Brazil in the Copa America this summer is also unresolved.

Coach of the senior national team, Tite, has given no indication over whether Neymar will eventually be among those called up for the tournament that will be held in Colombia and Argentina.

What has been confirmed is Neymar's presence in Brazil's squad for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Ecuador (June 5) and Paraguay (June 9).