Is the 2022 World Cup in Qatar Neymar’s last chance for glory on the biggest stage?

If you are a soccer fan, then there is no tournament you look forward to more than the World Cup. It only happens once every 4 years (and hopefully it will stay that way, despite FIFA trying to ruin it by making it a bi-annual affair) so the buildup of anticipation is not something fans get with any other competition. Yes, it might not have the quality that the Champions League or Copa des Liberatores does, but the relentlessness of several matches a day for 4 weeks is not something you can get anywhere else in soccer. With all those games happening, it gives sports bettors the perfect time to bet on multiple teams.

Betting on the World Cup is highly popular, and in advance of it happening, bettors should find the ideal sportsbook for them, which will include some sort of joining reward. Many people will be treated to the DraftKings sign up bonus when they register on their website, which will help them to get started in having funds in their account for placing bets. Draftkings will have a wide range of betting markets for soccer fans to browse through when the World Cup in Qatar finally begins in November.

Already fans are beginning to place bets on who they think will be the top scorer at the World Cup. The current oddsmaker’s favourite appears to be Lionel Messi, who has odds of 12/1. Messi will surely be extremely motivated to help Argentina perform as well as they can at this tournament, as he will be 35 by the time it begins, so likely won’t have another chance to appear at a World Cup as a player. He and Argentina made it to the final in 2014, but ultimately lost to Germany 1-0.

Another player who will have similar motivations is Cristiano Ronaldo, as he will be 37. Not only that, but he is only 1 goal away from being the all-time top scorer in World Cup finals, and as a man who loves an individual accolade, he will be dying to break Miroslav Klose’s record. Portugal are not yet qualified, but even so, Ronaldo has odds of 16/1 to be the top scorer in Qatar.

Another player who is in a similar position is Neymar, the Brazilian striker. He will be 30 next November, so is certainly entering his twilight years. Let’s look back at his past performances in the World Cup, before trying to determine if Qatar 2022 will definitely be his swansong.

 

2014

While Neymar had at this point already moved to Barcelona, for many it was the 2014 that was the introduction to him and his style of playing. Having missed out on selection 4 years earlier, he was keen to make a big impression, especially as the tournament was being held in Brazil. Neymar and co were the pre-tournament favourites, with odds of +290, ahead of Argentina (+440) and Germany (+650).

His tournament got off to a great start, scoring twice in the first game vs Croatia, where Brazil were the bookmakers favourite by a long way. He also grabbed 2 goals against Cameroon, in a game Brazil won 4-1, to have them qualify as group winners

He scored a penalty in the round of 16 to help them progress to the quarter- finals, at which point their odds had lengthened slightly to +310. Unfortunately Neymar suffered a back injury at this stage against Colombia, ruling him out of the semi-final, where his side were thrashed 7-1 by Germany.

 

2018

In the months leading up to the tournament in Russia, some bettors were finding odds on Neymar not even appearing, as he had missed several months through injury. However, he recovered in time, and helped himself to a goal in the group stages against Costa Rica, which made him Brazil’s 3rd highest goalscorer, behind just Pele and Ronaldo.

Brazil came up against Mexico in the last 16, and Neymar was on the scoresheet again, as well as assisting Roberto Firmino for the 2nd goal. That was as far as Brazil went, as they lost 2-1 to Belgium in the quarter-finals, with Neymar failing to find the target.

 

2022 and beyond?

Neymar is currently injured with an ankle ligament issue, but will be back long before the 2022 World Cup kicks off. He will need to stay injury free if he is to make a real impact in Qatar. The bookmakers feel he will, giving him odds of 12/1 to be the top scorer, which makes him the 2nd favourite.

While 2022 is unlikely to be his final tournament with Brazil, it will be the last one where he is in his peak years. He’ll be 34 in 2026, so won’t have the lightning quick pace he relies on so heavily now. If he can adapt his game, and become a more conservative player, we expect him to still be representing Brazil in the United States, Canada and Mexico in just over 4 years time.

Sources: bleacherreport.com / cbssports.com / theguardian.com