Neymar Reveals His Brazil Retirement Was Inspired by Ronaldinho
Following his retirement from the Brazil national team, Neymar received heartfelt praise from former international Juliano Belletti, who believes the Selecao's all-time leading scorer built his game by following the path created by Ronaldinho.
Neymar's retirement from the Brazil national team continues to generate reactions throughout the football world. After the Seleção's elimination against Norway in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the forward officially brought an end to his international career, closing a historic chapter as his country's all-time leading scorer.
As tributes continue to pour in, former Brazil international Juliano Belletti explained that much of Neymar's playing style was inspired by Ronaldinho, one of Brazilian football's greatest legends and a FIFA World Cup champion in 2002.
Ronaldinho Laid the Foundation for Neymar's Style
Speaking in a recent interview, Belletti, who shared the dressing room with Ronaldinho for both Brazil and Barcelona, said many of the moves that later became trademarks of Neymar's game were first introduced by the legendary playmaker.
According to the former defender, Ronaldinho revolutionized the sport with his close ball control, creative passing, and ability to beat defenders in one-on-one situations. Those qualities, he believes, became the foundation that inspired Neymar to develop into one of the world's most gifted attackers.
Belletti also dismissed the long-standing belief that Ronaldinho relied solely on natural talent. Instead, he emphasized that the former superstar trained intensely every day, constantly working to perfect the technical skills that made him one of football's most iconic players.
The End of an Era for Brazil
The defeat against Norway marked Neymar's final appearance for Brazil. After missing the opening two group-stage matches because of injury, the forward returned to feature in the closing stages of the tournament.
Coming off the bench against Norway, Neymar converted a late penalty, but his goal was not enough to prevent Brazil's elimination from the World Cup.
With an outstanding record of 80 goals and 59 assists in 130 appearances, Neymar retires as Brazil's all-time leading scorer. Beyond comparisons with other legendary figures, his legacy is firmly established, and according to Juliano Belletti, it also represents the continuation of the footballing legacy that Ronaldinho created for the generations that followed.
