Lothar Matthäus heavily criticizes Neymar: Brazil star puts self-interest above the team

German football legend Lothar Matthäus did not hide his satisfaction after the Brazilian national team was eliminated from the World Cup. He harshly criticized team leader Neymar and his behavior on the pitch, accusing the forward of personal selfishness. In his column for Sky Germany, Matthäus analyzed Brazil's defeat to Norway in the Round of 16. This is reported by Goal.com .

According to Matthäus, Brazil's exit from the tournament was fair. "I am glad that Brazil lost. I can no longer stand these constant complaints and excessive gestures," wrote the former German international. He specifically focused on the penalty situation involving Neymar late in the game.

Is personal interest more important than team success?

In the final minutes of the match, with Brazil trailing 2-1, the referee awarded a penalty against Norway. Before and after taking the shot, Neymar spent a long time arguing with the goalkeeper. Matthäus emphasized that instead of saving time and restarting the game quickly, Neymar put his own "ego" first.

"Instead of taking the penalty quickly, Neymar argued with the goalkeeper. This behavior shows that he puts his ego above the team's success," added Matthäus. According to him, such an attitude negatively affected the morale of the entire team and was one of the main reasons for the defeat.

The German legend also compared Brazil to the French national team. In his opinion, stars like Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé have already understood that team unity is the key to success. Matthäus specifically noted that France won against Paraguay precisely because of that unity.

The Norwegian national team, meanwhile, reached the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time in their history thanks to this victory. Erling Haaland became the hero of the match by scoring a brace. Additionally, goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland, currently without a club, saved his team from conceding with a series of difficult saves.

For Brazil, this defeat marks another failure. Criticism surrounding Neymar is expected to continue for a long time. Debates among the sports community regarding the playing style and discipline of the "Seleção" have intensified following Matthäus's comments.