Copa America win "shut up" Brazil's critics: Neymar

REUTERS: Neymar told Reuters on Saturday (July 13) that Brazil's win at Copa America "shut up" critics that complained the team depended too much on their star forward. Earlier this month, Brazil won the Copa America for the ninth time in a pulsating contest at the Maracana stadium. It was Brazil's first major title since they won the Copa America in 2007, the first for coach Tite, and they did it without Neymar, who was injured on the eve of the tournament. The ankle ligament injury capped a horrible few months for the Paris St-Germain (PSG) striker, who was stripped of the Brazil captaincy in May and then in June had to fend off rape allegations in a case that has dominated the headlines in his homeland. Putting the controversies behind him, Neymar told Reuters he is at "100%" and set to return to Europe for training. Neymar joined PSG from Barcelona for a world record 222 million euros (£199 million) in 2017. But the 27-year-old is a reported target for Barcelona, whose President Josep Maria Bartomeu said earlier this month that Neymar wanted to leave the Ligue 1 side to return to Spain, but that PSG were reluctant to sell him. Paris St Germain said this week they will take action against Neymar after he failed to report for training on Monday (July 08). Neymar is currently in Brazil for his five-a-side tournament, a take on traditional soccer with ten-minute matches, no goalkeeper and just five players on each team.