June 25 (Reuters) - 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 a 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.
(Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in Bengaluru; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
