“He should have shown a little bit more humility” - Frank Leboeuf blasts Neymar for comments about proving himself to Carlo Ancelotti

Frank Leboeuf has hit out at Neymar Jr for his recent comments about not needing to prove himself to Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti. The Brazilian superstar's comments were in response to reporters asking him about Ancelotti's staff keeping an eye on his performances.

On August 5, Neymar delivered a sensational performance for Santos, scoring a brace in their 3-1 victory over Juventude in the Brazilian Serie A. Fans and pundits hailed his performance, with the football world looking forward to his return to the Selecao soon. During the game, three of Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti's staff members were present to watch the star forward's performances. In the context of the same, reporters asked Neymar his thoughts about Ancelotti's staff watching him and whether they would be impressed.

"I don't need to prove anything to anyone," the Santos superstar responded in the post-match press conference.

In a conversation on ESPN FC, Frank Leboeuf criticized Neymar Jr for his comments, advising him to be more humble. He said:

"Of course, he has [a point to prove]. I think his comment was very condescending. I was watching footage of him when he played in Brazil and when he played for Barcelona. That was amazing. That guy was simply an exception. But how long has it been since we have seen that? It’s been four or maybe five years. When he came to PSG, the first year was quite okay, but that wasn’t the man we saw in Barcelona."

Leboeuf further stated:

"Since then, we saw injuries we saw drama, we saw comments, but we didn’t see performances. So yes, you have to prove [yourself again], especially when we’re talking about Carlo Ancelotti. He should have shown a little bit more humility towards the capacity of what Ancelotti can bring to him." "Ancelotti made the effort to not say, ‘It’s over for Neymar, I don’t want to see him anymore. He’s part of the past, let’s look at the future’. Ancelotti takes care of him and he makes that comment, come on."

The former Barcelona superstar was last seen in Brazil colors in October 2023 in a World Cup qualifying game against Uruguay. During the match, he picked up an ACL injury that kept him off the pitch for a year. Since his return and joining Santos, he has continued to suffer from minor injuries.

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Brazil boss Carlo Ancelotti's stance on Neymar Jr being in the squad for the 2026 World Cup comes to light

Peru v Brazil - South American Qualifiers for Qatar 2022 - Source: Getty

After taking over the helm as the Selecao head coach, Carlo Ancelotti opened up about counting on Neymar Jr for the upcoming 2026 World Cup. He announced his first squad in May 2025, but did not include the former PSG forward in the squad. However, Ancelotti was clear about him being a part of the World Cup and said (via Fabrizio Romano):

"He is out of the list as he’s just returned from injury. I spoke to Ney and we’ve agreed on this. I trust him, I count on him, we want him to arrive in best conditions to the World Cup. Joelinton, Rodrygo, Éderson, Militão are also out due to injury."

With his current contract at Santos set to expire in December, there are reports linking him to a sensational return to Europe as well. If Neymar can regain his previous form before the 2026 World Cup, he could be an integral part of Ancelotti's squad.

Edited by Pratyasha Sarkar