March 17, (THEWILL) — Brazil boss, Carlo Ancelotti, has left Neymar out of his squad for the Selecao’s forthcoming friendlies, yet kept open the possibility of the forward earning a place in the final World Cup roster.
The 34-year-old, Brazil’s all-time top scorer with 79 goals in 128 caps, has been absent from international football since sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament injury in 2023. He completed the full 90 minutes of Santos’ 1-1 draw with Corinthians on Sunday, a match two of Ancelotti’s assistants attended in person.
Speaking on Monday, the Brazilian head coach was direct about the reason for the exclusion. “Neymar is not at 100 percent, and therefore he is not on the list,” Ancelotti said. “If he can be at 100 percent physically, he can be there. Neymar could be at the World Cup.”
Endrick returns to the national set-up for the first time under Ancelotti, having scored six goals in 12 outings on loan at Lyon. Brentford striker Igor Thiago received his maiden call-up, while Rayan of Bournemouth, Flamengo defender Leo Pereira and Galatasaray midfielder Gabriel Sara are also named for the first time in the 26-man group.
Brazil face France on March 26 and Croatia three days later, in what will be the final fixtures before Ancelotti submits his World Cup squad on May 18. The five-time champions open their Group C campaign against Morocco on 13 June, with Scotland and Haiti the other opponents.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
