Will Neymar Play For Italy National Football Team After Obtaining Italian Citizenship?

A new development in the world of Italian football could see an iconic Brazilian footballing figure potentially play for the Italy National Football Team in the near future. According to recent media reports, former Barcelona star Neymar Jr has successfully gained Italian citizenship on Friday. The Santos forward was able to complete all the formalities through the support of the law firm of lawyer Emiliano Nitti.

According to Nicolo Shira, the Brazil National Football Team star is officially Italian and will be able to live and ply his trade from within the country. Neymar Italian citizenship has sent shockwaves through Italian football, potentially opening the door to seeing him don the Azzurri colors following the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

While no official confirmation has been received from the representatives within Neymar's camp, the switch from Brazil to Italy could be a boon in disguise for the player and the Azzurri, who have been clamoring for a star player for years. The disappointing exit from the FIFA World Cup qualifiers at the hands of Bosnia Herzegovina after penalties had rattled and eroded the confidence of the Italian public in the national team.

Neymar's potential inclusion in the Italy National Football Team could help regain some of that lost confidence and also aid the team's quest to earn qualification to future tournaments like the UEFA Euros and the 2030 FIFA World Cup.

Has Neymar Played His Last Game For Brazil?

However, the prospect of seeing Neymar in the Azzurri colors could turn out to be a pipedream, as he was recently part of Carlo Ancelotti's 55-man preliminary squad for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup. While all signs are pointing towards the former PSG winger representing the Selecao at the world football's apex competition under Ancelotti, injuries and consistency will determine whether Neymar makes the final 26-man squad.

Since returning to Santos from the Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal, Neymar has shown glimmers of his class for his boyhood club and found his scoring touch yet again. During the ongoing campaign, one of the best dribblers of all time, Neymar, has scored 6 goals and assisted four goals in 14 games across all competitions.