Team from India to play in Neymar Jr’s Five World Final

Team Udayavani, Jul 17, 2018, 11:36 AM IST

New Delhi: Joga Bonito Mumbai will represent India in the third edition of World Final of Neymar Jr’s Five — a five-a-side football tournament — which will be graced by the Brazilian star.

The Paris Saint-Germain forward will lace up his boots once again for the tournament in his hometown of Praia Grande on July 20-21.

Neymar returned from a foot surgery and a three-month injury layoff to score two goals and help Brazil to the last eight in the FIFA World Cup in Russia.

The 26-year-old will now welcome the best five-a-side teams from across the world.

Over 125,000 players signed up for a qualifier in this year’s competition as elite five-a-side players battled it out in 62 countries across six continents.

Some of the urban locations where players have shown their skills this year in qualifiers and national finals of the tournament include Baku, Lima, Paris, Miami and Singapore.

The national champions will get the chance to pit their wits against each other at the World Final – held for the third time at Instituto Projeto Neymar Jr in Praia Grande.

Anthony Machado, Johnson Dsilva, Mervin Stephen, Preetam Mahadik, Daniel Fernandes, Scott Dsouza and Pratik Kadam will represent India in the World Finals 2018, and meet the Paris Saint Germain superstar in his own backyard.

Neymar Jr said: “What makes me really excited is that this edition brings more players from more countries so I’m glad to know that everyone wants to participate, and I feel happy to be part of it. 

“More than that, I am excited to bring the joy of football and all the cultural diversity to the children here at the Instituto Neymar Jr that are attending the Neymar Jr’s Five’s third edition! The fact that the finals take place in the neighbourhood where I grew up fills me with energy at this moment.