A Bola, that huge Portuguese newspaper, just dropped its official lineup of the biggest disappointments from the recent FIFA World Cup, and believe me, it's a gut punch for some serious superstars. The list features a starting eleven and twelve substitutes, and it absolutely skewers three players from the Brazilian national team: Gabriel Magalhães, Raphinha, and the legendary Neymar. If you thought the World Cup was all glory, this list is a cold dose of reality for some of the biggest names in the game.
Brazil's Big Names Fall Short on the World Stage
Neymar, man, it's tough to read this. The iconic playmaker only managed to bag one goal across his two games. He started the tournament already banged up, barely seeing the pitch for 14 minutes before finally taking charge of the attack in the closing stages of their Round of 16 match against Norway. He scored, yeah, but then got tangled up in a heated argument, and just like that, Brazil was eliminated. Talk about a brutal exit for a player of his caliber. Then there's Raphinha, who only played two games. The expectation was that he'd step up as a true leader for the national team alongside Vinícius, but his performances against Morocco and Haiti were just plain poor. To make things worse, an injury in that second match benched him for the rest of the tournament. And let's not forget Gabriel Magalhães. The center-back actually played in all five of Brazil's matches, but A Bola linked him directly to their lowest points. Saibari and Haaland flat-out got the better of him in decisive duels against Morocco and Norway, which is just a nightmare scenario for any defender.No One Is Safe: Even CR7 Lands on the Disappointment Roster
It wasn't just Brazil's stars who ended up on the chopping block. Not even Portuguese idol Cristiano Ronaldo was spared from A Bola's brutal honesty. The veteran was also slapped onto the list with the stinging argument that "the numbers mask a disappointing campaign." You heard that right. Even with whatever stats he put up, the overall performance was still seen as a flop. He's not alone either. The starting eleven for this "disappointment dream team" includes big names like Fernando Muslera from Uruguay, Joshua Kimmich and Jamal Musiala from Germany, Josko Gvardiol from Croatia, Federico Valverde from Uruguay, Bruno Fernandes from Portugal, Leroy Sané from Germany, and Son Heung-min from South Korea. The substitute list is just as stacked with talent that simply didn't deliver, featuring Manuel Neuer, Declan Rice, Bernardo Silva, and more. This list from A Bola is a harsh reminder that at the World Cup, expectations are sky-high, and if you don't meet them, the critics will come for you, no matter how famous you are. It's a brutal look back at what could have been for some of the biggest names in football.This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.