Talented team mates will ease pressure on Neymar at World Cup, says Brazil great Ronaldo

MADRID: Former Brazil and Real Madrid great Ronaldo thinks that although the pressure will be on Neymar to deliver for his country at next month's World Cup in Qatar, he will be supported by the best team mates of his international career so far.

Ronaldo is no stranger to pressure on the global stage, having been a part of two World Cup winning squads with Brazil and most influential in their last triumph in Japan and Korea in 2002.

Neymar has often carried the hopes of a nation but has been unable to lead Brazil into a World Cup final, with the team crashing out in the quarter-finals to Belgium in the previous tournament in 2018.

However, Ronaldo backed the 30-year-old to flourish with a plethora of talent around him to help him out.

"The pressure will be over Neymar no matter what, he is Brazil's superstar and it doesn't matter who is playing along him," Ronaldo told Reuters in Madrid on Friday before the world premiere of his documentary film 'The Phenomenon', a DAZN Original set to be released later this month.

"I love Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo, Raphinha and think this new generation of talent will give him the best supporting cast he has ever had with the Brazil national team.

"This is definitely a better team than the ones Brazil had in the last three World Cups. But the responsibility always lies with the biggest star, who is Neymar."

Ronaldo is the symbol of Brazil's last World Cup title, having scored both goals as his team beat Germany 2-0 in the 2002 final in Japan.

He was also part of the squad that won the World Cup in 1994 at 17-years-old and has been named FIFA World Player of the Year three times and won two Ballon d'Or awards.

But Ronaldo said that he agreed to make a movie about his life because he felt the need to