Gabriel Medina BFF Neymar Jr. makes emotional return to World Cup soccer

“If my grandfather had wheels, he would be a car."

The knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup is drawing to a close and many wonderful storylines have unfolded, thus far. The beer-drenched Tartan Army winning hearts and minds in Boston, the tidy Japanese showing Americans the way trash should be dealt with and Norwegians harnessing their viking DNA.

One of the more emotional chapters, however, was written last night when Brazilian soccer great Neymar Jr. took the pitch in the Miami to play mop up time against the aforementioned Scots. The game was in hand but that did not stop the roar from the crowd, greeting Brazil’s all-time leading scorer after a nearly three year injury absence.

If one cupped an ear, very carefully, though, one singular extra loud holler could be heard coming all the way up from Saquarema, the always-identifiable timbre of current World Surf League number four Gabriel Medina.

Oh but you have read time and time and time again, right here, about the “special relationship” between the two Brazilian megastars. Their union nothing if not inspiring and Medina must have been more than overjoyed with the return of his bestie.

Neymar Jrs’ triumph was not just fated, however. Brazil’s Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti caught initial flak for including the aged hero on the roster but with Brazil cruising through the knockouts, all is, thus far, well.

“He had the opportunity to play because I think he deserved to,” Ancelotti declared after the game. “He worked and trained to recover with great professionalism and seriousness. He has the quality to help us at this World Cup. He played well in the few minutes he was on. Neymar doesn’t need motivation. No one does when they play for Brazil. He is 34, and he has the same passion for playing football as a child.”

Brazil’s new stud Vinicius Jr added, “It’s a very important moment for all of us. It’s our idol returning, a guy who always fought and did everything to be here. He’s back after a spell out injured and I hope that he can keep getting better, helping us throughout this competition.”

Ancelotti, at the end, saying, “If my grandfather had wheels, he would be a car.”

Wait. What does that mean?