India, June 26 -- A n emotional Neymar Jr. marked his return to the FIFA World Cup 2026 on Thursday, fighting back tears as he stepped onto the field for Brazil after a 981-day absence from the national team. The 34-year-old, Brazil's all-time leading scorer with 79 goals in 129 appearances, came on as a 76th-minute substitute against Scotland in Miami to a standing ovation, with the warm reception visibly moving him as he began his fourth World Cup campaign. The comeback comes after a difficult few years marked by repeated injuries that forced Neymar to miss more than 100 matches for club and country. After leaving European football for Saudi Arabia and later returning to Brazil, the forward struggled with a series of fitness setbacks, including a calf injury that kept him out of the national team. His absence also drew criticism from Brazil's president, who recently described him as a "work-from-home footballer". HTC...