Copa America: Neymar and his mission to keep 'samba' alive

In 2006, Nike released a series of advertisements ahead of the FIFA World Cup under a campaign titled 'Joga Bonito' (beautiful game). It was a time when a sense of pragmatism and cynicism was engulfing the sport; swathes of fans were starting to feel disillusioned by the foul play and monotonous styles of play that teams were embracing. The ads featured the likes of Thierry Henry, Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney championing the fun, aesthetic and motivational aspects of the sport. The campaign was a massive hit.

And if football fans in 2006 needed a reminder of all things beautiful and pure about the sport, there was only one player on the planet who embodied it: Ronaldinho. The Brazilian featured in four of these ads. His compatriot-in-crime, Ronaldo Lima, was also in two of them. The joy that these pair of samba boys brought to millions around the world, continuing the legacy left behind by legends before them, is unquantifiable.

In a modern game obsessed with numbers, statistics, technique and discipline, beauty is expendable. And, like the joy it gives, it is also unquantifiable. Hence it is relegated to existing as an abstract concept. Pleasing, but rarely contributing to the end of winning games. Few players these days strive to "make the ball happy", as Eric Cantona said in the Nike ad. Fewer players succeed at it.

Enter Neymar. The Brazilian superstar is adored as much as he is hated. And his skills are nothing like what Ronaldinho exhibited throughout his career. But watching Neymar slalom his way around players at the 2021 Copa America, early in the morning (Indian time), is not only a great way to start the day, but also a reminder that football's best is not entirely contained within the previous night's Euro matches.

With supercharged teams that are methodical and efficient, the Euros embody the homogenous nature of the modern game in Europe. Even Italian catenaccio has not survived! And while even Neymar himself is now a slightly Europeanised version of the young boy that left Santos for Barcelona, we see glimpses of the child in him when he puts on the yellow-and-blue kit.

A stepover here, a feint there, a nutmeg, back heel, drop of the shoulder and swivel to lose his marker and that sudden dribble into the box are but a few tricks up his sleeve. And while he was considered the heir to Ronaldinho's throne for successfully using skill to produce results for the team, there were fears that he would also go down the familiar Brazilian superstar path of having a short-lived career. But he has defied that. So far, at least. Even in this discussion on artistry, it is difficult to avoid mentioning that he is closing in on Pele's record goal haul for the national team.

It is almost as if Neymar works to remind his team of where they really are from. Because only three of the 25 members of the Brazil squad at the Copa America play in Brazil, and none of them are first-team players. Neymar's superiority on the pitch inspires his teammates to be adventurous and experimental, ditching the mentality they bring from their respective clubs.

Perhaps, he even inspires his opponents to be as outrageous as him. The 2-1 victory over Colombia was an evenly fought battle between the two giants, but lost in the controversies of the game was the brilliance of Colombian left winger Luis Diaz. In an identical position, Diaz seemed to be mirroring Neymar's influence, knocking the ball past defenders with ease from the left flank. And the overhead kick to opening the scoring, a contender for goal of the tournament, was another spectacular piece of skill. Diaz is a nifty upcoming player who resembles a young Neymar.

It is fair to say that Neymar is one of the few top players to even attempt a form of football that is considered raw and pure. How many are there, after all? Even his good friend Lionel Messi rarely makes those famous dribbles anymore. (But that is probably down to his age and his changed role for club and country.)

But one cannot stop at just romanticising what he brings to the sport, without acknowledging the issues of it as well. The tackles and fouls may come thick and fast when he is on the ball, disrupting the flow of his game. But, like a moth to a flame he often seeks out such challenges to make the most of it. In the split second when he realises he is losing possession of the ball to a tackler, Neymar prefers to go down easily with exaggerated rolls that spark a thousand memes.

If those were the good and bad, there is the ugly too. Neymar loves to rile opponents with his comments, body language, tantrums with the referee and other squabbles on the pitch. His very presence attracts enough drama that can rival some of Brazil's telenovelas. Even at 29, he needs his team captain to come to either defend him or to make him keep his cool. It is the side of him that everybody is used to seeing, and one that might never change. His refusal to conform to norms brings out not only the best out of him, but also the worst.

The Copa America is being played behind closed doors this year, owing to the raging pandemic situation in Brazil. It is sad that the locals cannot turn up to witness the increasingly rare occasions of their national stars playing together on home soil. They might not get to watch Brazilian football in its raw unfiltered form, but they are watching them on TV, like the rest of us. And it up to Neymar and his mates to ensure they put on a show that their natives would relate to. Preferably involving some joga bonito.