CR7, Neymar and Gabriel Magalhães on the same list — and it's not the World Cup's best
Portuguese newspaper A Bola names the 23 biggest disappointments of the World Cup. Brazil has three players on the list: Gabriel Magalhães, Neymar and Raphinha.
There are lists nobody wants to be on. Portuguese newspaper A Bola went beyond the usual best-of World Cup selections and assembled a full squad — bench included — of the tournament's biggest disappointments. Twenty-three names called up. And Brazil, believe it or not, contributed three.
Cristiano Ronaldo is among the starters. A Bola pulled no punches: "The numbers mask a disappointing campaign," the newspaper wrote, noting that CR7 stayed well away from the areas where he could still make a difference, despite his three goals.
On the Brazilian side, Gabriel Magalhães is the only one in the starting eleven. The verdict is harsh: the centre-back was linked to the national team's darkest moments, being outduelled in decisive situations by Saibari and Haaland in the matches against Morocco and Norway, respectively, according to A Bola.
Neymar and Raphinha appear among the substitutes — and the reasoning stings. Ney only came on 14 minutes before taking over the attack in the round of sixteen, scored one goal, got involved in a heated argument and was eliminated. Raphinha, who was supposed to share the leadership role with Vinícius, disappointed against Morocco and Haiti and then missed the rest of the World Cup through injury, as the newspaper noted.
Neuer rounds out the team of disappointments with a campaign A Bola summed up bluntly: he conceded in every game, including against Curaçao, and came off badly in the clash with Ecuador.
The World Cup is already over for Brazil and Portugal — both fell before the quarter-finals. But the reckoning has arrived: who will answer for it in 2026?