Absent again from coach Carlo Ancelotti’s squad list, Neymar stated on Monday night (16) that he was upset at not having the chance to return to defend the national team at this time.
Santos’ number 10 was in São Paulo to watch a Kings League match and highlighted that, despite his frustration, he still hopes to be part of the coach’s final list for the World Cup.
“I’m going to talk here because I can’t ignore it. Obviously, I’m upset and sad that I wasn’t called up. But the focus continues: day after day, training after training, game after game. The focus continues. We’re going to achieve our goal. There’s still the final call-up,” said Neymar.
The absence of the Santos player again was the subject that generated the most questions for Ancelotti, who repeated, in other words, what he has been saying since he was hired, in May 2025: Neymar can be called up when he is 100% physically.
“Why didn’t I call him in this call-up? Because he’s not 100% and I need 100% players,” said the coach. This time, however, he left the door open. “Neymar can be at the World Cup. If he can reach 100%, he can be,” he said.
The call-up released this Monday, at the CBF headquarters, in Rio de Janeiro, was Ancelotti’s last for friendlies before defining the squad that will represent Brazil at the World Cup, hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
The team faces France on March 26th, at Gillette Stadium, in Boston, at 5pm (Brasília time). Then, on the 31st, they will face Croatia at the Camping World Stadium, in Orlando, at 9pm (Brasília time).
Neymar has not played for the national team since October 2023, when he was injured in the match against Uruguay, in the qualifiers. At the time, he suffered one of the most serious injuries of his career, with a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, and was out for almost a year.
Since returning to Santos at the beginning of this year, he has faced physical problems again, which also prevented him from wearing the Brazilian team’s shirt again.
