What is Neymar’s legacy after retiring from international soccer?
MLS on Apple TV analyst Kevin Egan joins Christian Polanco and Alexis Guerreros of The Cooligans to discuss Neymar’s career after Brazil is knocked out of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Check out the full conversation on the “The Cooligans” podcast - and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen.View moreAdvertisementVideo TranscriptIf you're a fan of the game, you're a fan of Neymar.I, I don't care w- you know, if you find reasons to really dislike this person, you don't have a pulse when it comes to our beautiful game.Because he's been an absolute genius, he's Brazil's all-time leading goal scorer.I think if he could go back in time, maybe he wouldn't make that move to Paris.You know, I th- he, he was in such a good position at Barcelona and playing the, the ball of his life.The most infectious football I've ever seen was MSN playing the way they were playing for Barcelona.And you'd fall in love with this guy easy.AdvertisementAnd as a person, he seems to be a good guy.You know?He se- he seems like he carries himself well.so I r- I was rooting for him yesterday, and I'm with you guys.It was a little bit emotional seeing that and the way he ended it.Yeah.Yeah, it's a real shame to see it go out like that.80 goals in 130 appearances.Yeah.obviously the Copa America runner-up and he won a gold medal, but so much more, man.We're gonna look back at his career and really, the way I look at it is Brazil wasted this talent.That's how I'm gonna feel about it.Yeah, well, I mean, when you look, when you think about 2002 and they won and, and those legends that played on that team, and you, you just expected at least another, another group to be able to kind of do that, given the, the kind of talent that they would develop.AdvertisementBut there's been a little bit of a, not a, not, you know, I don't wanna be too critical of, like, the downgrade of, like, the quality of players since that 2002 generation, but it's just not been the same.The, the bar that they set was so incredibly high.Where the, the, I think this is what was shocking in, in this game, was just, like, the, the, the, the fear that Brazil- Brazilian national teams would in, would, would instill in, in their opponents is just gone.I mean, it's just not really there.Close
