RIO DE JANEIRO — Brazilian star Neymar lost his national team's captaincy for the Copa America to veteran Dani Alves, in another move suggesting the striker will be under heavy pressure to deliver the title of the South American tournament on home soil.
Brazil's football confederation, CBF, said in a statement on Monday that 36-year-old defender Alves, a close friend of Neymar's who plays with him at Paris Saint-Germain, will start wearing the armband in the friendly against Qatar on June 5 in Brasilia.
The Copa America will be played between June 14 and July 7, and Brazil's first match will be against Bolivia in Sao Paulo on opening day.