João Cancelo Defends Ronaldo and Neymar at World Cup

João Cancelo has stepped firmly into the line of fire around two of football’s biggest stars, insisting Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar deserve respect, not the barrage of criticism trailing them at this World Cup.

The Portugal defender cut through the noise with a simple message: you don’t question giants.

“I don't think Neymar or Cristiano need to prove anything to anyone,” Cancelo told reporters, batting away the narratives building around both players. “Their talent and what they've achieved in football speak for themselves. All that talk is just for show. Both Cristiano and Neymar know who they are and what they represent for their countries.”

Ronaldo, now 41, has been targeted after a subdued display in Portugal’s opening 1-1 draw with Congo DR. Every heavy touch, every missed half-chance, has been pulled apart in the glare of a sixth World Cup campaign. His presence, though, remains historic: he has joined Argentina captain Lionel Messi as the only players to appear at six World Cups, and he still stands alone as the men’s all-time leading international scorer with 143 goals since his debut in 2003.

Neymar, 34, is facing a different storm. He has yet to kick a ball for Brazil in this tournament, sidelined by a calf injury for their first two games. His inclusion in the squad has been questioned by critics who argue a player not fully fit should not have travelled.

The numbers say otherwise. Neymar is Brazil’s all-time leading scorer with 79 goals in 128 caps, and his last appearance for the Seleção ended in agony: an ACL tear in October 2023 on international duty. That injury, and the long road back, has fed doubts. Cancelo, though, sees only a player whose legacy is already written.

While the debate rages around the marquee names, one defender is quietly relishing the idea of facing one of them again.

Jack Hendry's Perspective

Jack Hendry, the Scotland centre-back, says he has no fear at all about Neymar’s possible return for Wednesday’s World Cup clash with Brazil in Miami. Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed the forward is fit to play after missing those first two Group C matches with his calf problem, and that prospect leaves Hendry more intrigued than intimidated.

Speaking at Scotland’s training base in Charlotte, North Carolina, Hendry barely raised an eyebrow at the thought.

“Yeah, no problem,” he said calmly when asked about the chance of another duel with Neymar. “Obviously, he was out in the league I was in [in Saudi Arabia]. I'm quite comfortable coming up against Neymar and I look forward to it, it really should be a good battle.”

Hendry has seen this up close before. As a Club Brugge player in the 2021-22 season, he lined up in the Champions League against a Paris Saint-Germain front three of Neymar, Messi and Kylian Mbappé. That night, he got a crash course in what the game’s elite can do when you switch off for even a heartbeat.

“I think he got injured out in Saudi, he did his ACL, which was unfortunate, obviously I would have played against him more,” Hendry said, reflecting on their brief overlap in the Saudi Pro League after he joined Al-Ettifaq in 2023 and Neymar signed for Al-Hilal before later moving to Santos.

“I played against him in the Champions League when he was at PSG, obviously that was a good test. Obviously the front three at that time were Messi, Mbappé and Neymar. It's a not bad front three so it was a good experience.

“I think the first game, we did well. I think maybe 0-0 or 1-1, I can't remember, but I think that was one of the first games they played together. So you need to be concentrated, playing against these kind of players, because one split second you switch off, they can punish you, so it was a good experience.

“You learn a lot from these moments, playing against these top calibre players. So I look forward to it and we'll see if he plays.”

Between Cancelo’s defence of two modern icons and Hendry’s quiet appetite for the contest, one theme cuts through: the game’s biggest names still command a unique gravity. Whether Ronaldo can silence his doubters or Neymar can turn criticism into fuel on his return, the next 90 minutes will not just be about legs and lungs.

They will be about reputations, and who dares to challenge them.