Brazil need Neymar now more than ever, says Maradona

Argentina legend and the nation’s 1986 World Cup hero wrote in The Times of India that Brazil need Neymar now more than ever after the five time World Champions were held to a 1-1 draw against Switzerland in their opener.

Maradona reckons that Neymar, who returned to the training pitch 48 hours after hobbling out two days earlier, remains a key figure for the five-time champions, and that he needs to step up if Brazil are to register their first win of the tournament.

"It is good news for Brazil that Neymar joined training on Wednesday and appeared to have recovered from the knocks suffered in the Switzerland stalemate. I said it before, this lot is not all about its top star and I maintain that. However, they need him now, for there is no room for error hereon," Maradona wrote in his column for Times of India on Friday.