Neymar will be selected as one of Brazil's three over-age players for the 2016 Olympics, the team's manager Alexandre Gallo said on Thursday.
Olympic soccer gold is the only major title Brazil have not won and with Rio de Janeiro hosting the Games the pressure is on -- even with the tournament still almost two years away.
Gallo said he would call up Barcelona striker Neymar and two other over-age players. All teams must take under-23 squads but are permitted three over-age players.
"I will take (those) three players," Gallo said in an interview with Sportv.
"Or rather two. One will be Neymar. You can't think about Brazilian football without thinking of him."
The decision could mean Neymar will face a punishing schedule in 2016. The US is to host a special Centenary Copa America in June. The Olympics take place in August.
Austrian cyclist Braendle sets new hour record
Austria's Matthias Braendle set a new one hour record of 51.85 kilometres on Thursday, the International Cycling Union (UCI) said on Twitter.
The 24-year-old, riding at the World Cycling Centre in the Swiss town of Aigle, beat Jens Voigt's mark of 51.11 km which was set on Sept. 18 in nearby Grenchen.
Braendle was ahead of Voigt's mark by more than 50 seconds at the halfway point and managed to break the record despite a few wobbles in the last 10 minutes.
"Things went well for the first 30 minutes, then in the middle of the race, it was really tough and I suffered," he told Austrian media.
"Fortunately, there were lots of people there to support me."
"It got better near the end and I could enjoy it. Towards the end, the pain went away."
