Carlos Eduardo dos Santos Galvão Bueno is already 73 years old and has long since stopped working for the TV channel Globo. But his decade-long tenure as the Seleção’s chief match commentator continues to give his judgment great weight.
On Tuesday evening, Galvão Bueno spoke up with a short clip on a social network – and after the 0-2 defeat in Uruguay in the qualifying game for the 2026 World Cup, which will take place in the USA, Mexico and Canada, he fell into a superlative obviously didn’t come across the lips so easily. He was angry that he had seen “the worst Brazilian selection in the last 50 years” in Montevideo. And that’s saying something when you consider that Galvão Bueno took part in twelve World Cups – including at the Estádio Mineirão in Belo Horizonte when Brazil, as World Cup hosts in 2014, lost 7-1 to Germany in the semifinals.
Now Galvão Bueno is not immune to mistakes – it is unforgettable how he once said about the Austrian Arnold Schwarzenegger that he won the title “Miss Universe” years ago. But with his scathing criticism of the five-time world champion’s current team, he is anything but alone at home.
Not even in the recent defeats against Morocco and Senegal were the Brazilians in such trouble as they are now in Uruguay. Brazil experienced a “night to forget,” the newspaper wrote O Estado de São Paulo, and the truth was that it was the second night of its kind on the current international circuit. Last Thursday, Brazil had already given up a lead against the baseball nation Venezuela and played 1-1 at home – a disgrace.
Neymar tore a ligament in his knee and will be out for the rest of the season
In Montevideo, the Brazilians suffered their first defeat in a World Cup qualifier since 2015 after goals from Darwin Núñez (Liverpool FC) and Nicolás de la Cruz (River Plate). At that time they lost to the Chileans, who are currently only a shadow of their former self . They lost 3-0 in Maturín on Tuesday against the “Vinotinto”, as the Venezuelan team is called because of their burgundy jerseys, after a grotesquely self-destructive game.
But back to the Brazilians. They not only had to endure the defeat, but also the tears of Neymar Jr. The 31-year-old striker, who a few months ago swapped a golden cage called Paris Saint-Germain for another at Saudi club FC Al-Hilaltwisted his left knee shortly after Núñez’s opening goal just before half-time.
The Brazilian association CBF initially announced that Neymar’s injury, who, like against Venezuela, was disappointing across the board, was “worrying”. He was only able to leave the stadium on crutches and wore a splint around his left leg. The diagnosis followed on Wednesday: torn ligaments and a meniscus injury in the knee, an operation was unavoidable, the veranda announced. It is out of the question that Neymar will be able to help the Brazilian team in the qualifying games coming up in November – in Barranquilla against Colombia and in Rio de Janeiro against Argentina. He is out for the rest of the season.
Gala peppered with two goals: Argentine Lionel Messi (l.) in the game against Peru.
(Photo: Leonardo Fernandez/Getty)
It is foreseeable that Brazil will face an outstandingly in-form world champion against Argentina in November. Coach Lionel Scaloni’s team has scored as many wins and 7-0 goals in four qualifying games. “This team is similar to FC Barcelona, and that was the best team in history,” said Lionel Messi, who, after a short injury break, delivered a spectacular gala with two goals in the 2-0 win against Peru and played like in the best days of Barça .
Perhaps that is also the reason why the 36-year-old Argentine captain has no inclination to return to Catalonia. In any case, he put an end to all speculation about a possible loan to Europe. The rumors about Messi returning to FC Barcelona at short notice arose because Inter Miami missed the Major League Soccer playoffs in the USA – and Messi will therefore be out of action from the end of October to February. But now he announced: “I will train (in Miami) and prepare for the new season in January.” A little practice won’t even hurt him.