“Obviamente, existe um espírito nostálgico. Quem ama futebol tem esse espírito e sempre vai olhar para os belos momentos que esses jogadores deram aos torcedores”, Alisson said.
That emotion is understandable. Neymar leaves Brazil as the country’s record goalscorer with 80 goals, while Salah’s Liverpool spell ended after eight major trophies. Their influence stretched beyond goals and assists: both became the attacking reference points of teams built around their ability to decide major matches.
The void will be felt, even if the next generation eventually creates its own history.
Liverpool’s rebuild already has signs of promise. Bradley Barcola scored three times in a 6-3 Champions League victory over LASK, while Victor Munoz has arrived from Osasuna as another option for the reshaped attack.
“The Liverpool is a great team, we signed new players and already have a very good squad here,” Alisson said. That confidence will be tested by the demands Salah once met almost automatically: stretching defences, producing decisive moments and setting the tone in difficult games.
The task is not to find another Salah. It is to create a different attack with enough variety to avoid dependence on one superstar.
Brazil faces a similar challenge without Neymar’s creativity, personality and historic stature. Alisson’s view that the national team “continues renewing” offers optimism, but regeneration requires patience as well as talent.
The next storyline will be whether Liverpool and Brazil can turn promising new faces into trusted leaders. Their former icons may be missed for years, but the future will ultimately be judged by what comes next.