Brazil’s Neymar said he went to the dressing room and shed some tears alone following his return to the ​side after a gap of 981 days, coming on ‌in the second half during Wednesday’s 3-0 World Cup win over Scotland in Miami.

The 34-year-old last featured for Brazil in 2023. He suffered a serious knee ​injury in October that year and has struggled to ​maintain his form since then. He was initially ⁠in doubt for inclusion in Brazil’s World Cup squad.

He then suffered a ​calf injury last month that ruled him out of Brazil’s first ​two matches in the tournament. But he finally made his international comeback against Scotland, with the fans chanting his name.

“I went to the locker ​room, all alone, and I shed a few tears,” ​Neymar told reporters after Brazil finished top of Group C.

“It’s an immense relief ‌to ⁠relive all this. It’s a moment of gratitude. I thank God for being able to experience this again.”

Brazil’s all-time top scorer with 79 goals, Neymar has now appeared in four ​World Cups, with ​eight goals and ⁠four assists in tournaments since 2014.

“I had been away for a long time, so it’s ​a different team now, I see it with ​fresh ⁠eyes,” he said.

“But I’m very happy to have been able to come back and play in a World Cup and defend the ⁠Brazilian ​national team after so many years.”

Brazil ​will play the runners-up in Group F in their second-round clash in Houston ​on Monday.