Less than six months before the World Cup, coach Carlo Ancelotti is working to define the Brazilian team that will go to North America. The group of 26 players is not closed, and even the starting team has open spots.
In the previous cycle, under Tite, Brazil already had, in the months before the 2022 World Cup, a defined backbone and only specific adjustments under discussion. Now, the Italian coach works in a transitional environment, in which remnants of the previous period and athletes who are still trying to establish themselves coexist.
Time is Ancelotti’s opponent. After taking over the team in May 2025, he ended the year with eight games, four in the qualifiers and four friendlies. During this period, he called up 48 athletes and only did not use six of them: Antony, Ederson, João Gomes, John, Léo Ortiz and Luciano Juba.
Among the 42 who had the opportunity, Bruno Guimarães was the most constant, present in all games. Casemiro and Estêvão missed only one of their eight commitments.
The trio is part of the list of 18 names that Ancelotti claims are already guaranteed, although he has not yet disclosed this pre-relationship. With eight places still open, there is competition between athletes of all positions. According to the coach, the squad for the March friendlies will be very similar to the World Cup list.
So far, the Italian has not repeated his lineup once and has achieved 58.3% success, with four wins, two draws and two defeats. There were 14 goals scored and five conceded.
“There are two friendlies and six months of games left in a very demanding calendar, very high risk of injury, but I think the team, the environment, is on the right track to reach the World Cup well,” said Ancelotti, who was the fourth coach to manage Brazil in the 2022/26 cycle, which made it difficult to consolidate a base in advance.
In preparation for the previous World Cup, at this stage, Tite was at the end of a six-year work, which allowed him to use the final months of preparation for the World Cup in Qatar to fine-tune his tactical choices. The pieces were almost all established.
In the year of the World Cup, there was only a doubt about who would be Danilo’s backup on the right flank. Although the revelation of Daniel Alves’ name was only until the day of the final list, the player’s choice was already treated as certain within the coaching staff.
With Tite, the selection had a defined hierarchy, with a base repeated throughout the cycle and clear roles between starters and reserves. Alisson, Marquinhos, Casemiro, Neymar and Richarlison were stable references, while Fabinho and Gabriel Jesus, for example, occupied well-defined roles as alternatives.
With Ancelotti, the hierarchy is in dispute. He took over in the middle of a generational transition and has adopted a more flexible model, in which the moment weighs more than the player’s name. In this aspect, Neymar’s name is the one that causes the most discussion.
In 2022, he embarked for Qatar as the team’s main technical reference, in good physical shape. You couldn’t imagine Brazil’s starting team without its number 10. Now, the situation is different. Once again dealing with injuries, unable to maintain a long streak of activity, he didn’t even have the chance to play with Ancelotti.
The Italian, who began to show discomfort with repeated questions about whether or not the star would be called up for the World Cup, has been emphatic in his position: only players in full physical condition will be part of his squad in the competition.
Neymar is currently recovering from meniscus correction surgery on his left knee, which took place on December 22, in Belo Horizonte.
The procedure was conducted by doctor Rodrigo Lasmar, doctor for the Brazilian team. It is expected that he will take a month to recover and be able to take the field from February onwards.
On the last day of the year, Santos announced the renewal of the player’s contract until the end of 2026. This was the best scenario found by the athlete to try to get in shape in time for Ancelotti to observe his physical condition.
Neymar plays in one of the most sought-after sectors of the squad. To date, 13 names have already been tested. Six of them are among Ancelotti’s trusted names, with a virtually assured presence in the World Cup. They are: Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo, Estêvão, Raphinha, Gabriel Martinelli and Matheus Cunha.
Before the final call-up, Brazil will play two friendlies, against France and Croatia, respectively, on March 26th and 31st.
