Neymar has been left out of Brazil’s squad for their final World Cup warm‑up friendlies against France and Croatia, a high‑profile omission that underlines coach Carlo Ancelotti’s insistence that only fully fit players will board the plane to North America this summer. The 34‑year‑old forward, who only just returned from his latest injury setback with Santos, now faces a race against time to convince the Italian that he can reach 100 percent before Brazil submit their definitive list for the 2026 tournament.
The decision: “I need players who are 100%”
Ancelotti announced his 27‑man list in Rio de Janeiro on Monday, confirming that Brazil will face France in Boston on 26 March and Croatia in Orlando on 31 March in their last friendlies before he finalizes his World Cup roster. Neymar’s name was not on it, despite the forward having played 90 minutes and provided an assist in Santos’ 1–1 draw with Corinthians at the weekend.
Asked to explain the omission, Ancelotti was blunt:
- “Neymar can be at the World Cup if he is 100%,” he told reporters. “I didn’t call him up because he’s not 100%. Neymar has to be training and playing.”
- “Why did I not call him up this time? Because he is not 100 percent, and we need players who are 100 percent,” he had said in a separate interview.
The coach stressed that the warm‑ups and the tournament squad are “two different things,” insisting that leaving a player out now does not automatically rule him out of the final list.
Behind the scenes, fitness doubts weighed heavily. Ancelotti had reportedly planned a scouting trip to watch Neymar in a recent Santos match, only for the forward to miss out with muscle fatigue. That absence, combined with his recent injury history, appears to have persuaded the Italian to err on the side of caution.
Neymar’s reaction: “The dream continues”
Publicly, Neymar has tried to strike a defiant tone.
Speaking at a Kings League event in São Paulo shortly after the squad was announced, he admitted feeling “disappointed and sad” about being left out but vowed to keep pushing. “I remain focused, day after day, training session after training session, match after match. We will achieve our goal. The dream continues,” he said.
Reports from Brazilian and international outlets note that the Santos No.10 has only recently returned from another significant layoff, following a series of injuries that have disrupted his club and national‑team career in recent years. At 34, he is now navigating the delicate phase where past brilliance must be balanced against the demands of tournament‑level fitness.
For a player who once declared that the 2022 World Cup in Qatar might be his last, the expanded 2026 edition in the United States, Mexico and Canada has become a late‑career target, one that now depends on convincing Ancelotti he can deliver consistently for both club and country over the coming months.
A signal of generational change
Neymar’s omission also creates room for what looks like a deliberate refresh of Brazil’s attacking options.
Devdiscourse and other outlets note that Ancelotti has called up 19‑year‑old prodigy Endrick, who already has senior caps and is widely seen as one of the faces of the next generation and handed a first call‑up to Brentford striker Igor Thiago, praised for his physical presence and work rate in the Premier League. SofaScore’s analysis of the list points out that the friendlies are “the final experimental window” before the World Cup roster is locked in, making this a pivotal audition for younger forwards.
By preferring in‑form, fully fit attackers over an iconic but recovering star, Ancelotti is sending a message:
- Reputation alone will not secure a seat on the plane.
- Brazil’s attack in North America may look very different from the Neymar‑centric setups of the past decade.
Some Brazilian commentators tie this decision to longer‑running debates about balance. The national side has often been criticized for being overly dependent on Neymar’s improvisation, sometimes at the expense of collective structure. A forward line built around Endrick, Vinícius Júnior, Rodrygo and other emerging talents could signal a move toward a more fluid, pressing‑oriented approach that reflects modern European club football.
The warm‑ups: tests without their old talisman
Brazil’s choice of opponents underlines just how seriously these friendlies are being treated.
The Seleção will meet France in Boston and Croatia in Orlando, facing two recent World Cup finalists in U.S. stadiums that will also host matches during the tournament itself. For Ancelotti, they are a dress rehearsal on several fronts:
- Testing defensive solidity against Kylian Mbappé and a French side stacked with pace and power.
- Gauging how newer forwards handle high‑pressure environments against Croatian veterans renowned for game management.
- Assessing chemistry in midfield and attack without defaulting to Neymar as the creative hub.
With group‑stage fixtures against Morocco, Haiti and Scotland looming in June, Brazil want to arrive in North America with a settled core and tactical identity. In that sense, the decision to exclude an only‑partly‑fit Neymar now may reflect a desire to minimize variables in a compressed preparation window.
What this means for his World Cup chances
Is Neymar’s World Cup over before it begins? Ancelotti insists the door remains open.
“Neymar can still be at the World Cup. If he can play at 100 percent, Neymar could be there,” the coach told Xinhua and other outlets, adding that on a technical level there is “nothing to prove” about his quality. The key question is whether the forward can string together enough minutes with Santos, at full intensity, to convince the staff that his body can handle a seven‑game tournament.
Several factors will shape that decision:
- Match fitness: The number of 90‑minute outings he manages in Brazil’s Serie A and continental competitions between now and the squad deadline.
- Medical reports: Ongoing assessments of his muscle fatigue and injury risk, particularly given his history of ankle and knee problems.
- Squad balance: How well Brazil’s attack performs in the March friendlies; if the younger forwards click, Ancelotti may feel less pressure to gamble on an at‑risk veteran.
For now, his absence from the warm‑ups is a warning sign, not a final verdict. In public at least, both coach and player are keeping their options, and their language, deliberately open.
Legacy questions for Brazil’s No. 10
Whatever happens next, the immediate snub feeds a larger conversation about Neymar’s place in Brazilian football history.
Statistically, he remains one of the Seleção’s most prolific forwards, with over a century of goals for club and country. Yet persistent injuries, near‑misses at major tournaments and now a period back in domestic football after a stint in Saudi Arabia have complicated his narrative.
If he does make the World Cup and plays a decisive role, this week’s disappointment will be remembered as a bump on the road to redemption, a veteran star forced to prove himself all over again. If he does not, being left out of the last major warm‑up camp could come to be seen as the moment Brazil formally turned the page on the Neymar era.
In the short term, the focus shifts to Boston and Orlando, where a Neymar‑less Brazil will try to show they can live, and perhaps thrive, without their old talisman. The world will be watching both the team on the pitch and the superstar left at home, willing his body to give him one more shot at the biggest stage of all.