The event to call up the Brazilian team for the 2026 World Cup was all about Neymar. The public at the entrance to the Museum of Tomorrow shouted his name. The conversations inside and outside the venue, on Monday afternoon (18), were monothematic.
When the striker was announced, there was a small carnival in the center of Rio de Janeiro. Now, coach Carlo Ancelotti has the task of treating the star as another member of the group, a possible reserve.
“We chose him not because we think he will be a reserve. We chose him because he will offer his qualities. That he plays for one minute, that he doesn’t play, that he plays 90 minutes. I chose this group of players because I am sure that each one will bring something. My idea is focused on the collective, not on the individual”, said the Italian.
At 34 years old, after a series of physical problems, Neymar is behind several other attackers in the hierarchy established by the coaching staff. But, as the second highest scorer in the history of the national team, he is too big a character to be ignored.
Ancelotti’s trusted man, midfielder Casemiro lobbied for his friend’s call-up. Even striker João Pedro defended his idol being called up. Now, outside the final list, the young man will support the veteran on television.
All this dynamic was taken into account by the coach. He called Neymar last weekend and asked him if he was willing to accept a smaller role than the one he had with the national team for more than a decade.
The veteran said yes.
“I want to be clear, clean and honest,” declared Ancelotti, shortly after announcing Brazil’s 26 names for the World Cup. “We will have training, and the training will decide who will play. I have an idea of who the starting team could be, but then we have to see how everyone trains, how prepared they are.”
In his current physical conditions, Neymar is a reserve. It may be an option during the matches —”centralized”, as the commander signaled in the post-call-up interview—, but, at least at this moment, he is a reserve.
The coach said he discussed the list until lunch on Monday, a few hours before it was released. In the end, he came to the conclusion that the weight of not taking the old star to North America would be greater than the weight of taking him.
The other forwards called up are: Luiz Henrique, 25, Gabriel Martinelli, 24, Matheus Cunha, 26, Raphinha, 29, Endrick, 19, Igor Thiago, 24, Rayan, 19, and Vinicius Junior, 25. Vinicius, Raphinha and Cunha, it seems, will be starters.
The Italian’s idea is to use four men up front. In one of the drawings, the scheme is really with four attackers, with Matheus Cunha very close to the center forward. In another, Cunha plays deeper, in midfield, on the left. In any case, it doesn’t change the fact that there is now a vacancy open — injuries to Rodrygo, 25, and Estêvão, 19, disrupted the coach’s initial plans.
It can be occupied by an athlete who plays more on the sides of the field, such as Luiz Henrique or Martinelli; in this case, Vinicius Junior would play in the middle. An alternative would be to cast someone as a center forward, such as Endrick or Igor Thiago.
Neymar’s chance of joining the team is in the middle. Displacing Cunha, at this point, seems unlikely. So, the fight is to gain the position of the most advanced striker — and with fewer defensive responsibilities.
As Ancelotti made clear, physical preparation will be decisive in defining the formation that will start the World Cup, on June 13th, against Morocco, in East Rutherford, in the United States. If he doesn’t convince the boss, Neymar will be a reserve, as he said over the phone that he would agree.
“He has the possibility of improving his condition until the first game of the World Cup. He has this opportunity, he has experience in this type of competition, he has the affection of the group”, said the coach, referring to the fact that several athletes in the team treat the one who was number 10 for Brazil in the last three World Cups as an idol.
Managing this situation was a task that Ancelotti took on when he mentioned the name Neymar Júnior in the call-up.
