Brazil’s coach said Neymar could be in contention for the international squad if he achieves full fitness within the next two months.
Published April 12, 2026
Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti has left open the possibility that Neymar Junior will be included in the FIFA World Cup’s 26-man squad, saying the forward has two months to prove he has what it takes.
Ancelotti has consistently maintained that Neymar would fight for a spot if he was fully fit, but the attacker was left out of Brazil’s squad for last month’s warm-up games against France and Croatia.
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Neymar, Brazil’s all-time leading scorer with 79 goals, has not played for the national team since sustaining a serious knee injury in October 2023 and has struggled to maintain consistency since returning to Santos last year.
After Brazil lost 2-1 to France in Boston, fans chanted Neymar’s name, but manager Ancelotti dismissed the reaction at the time, saying that attention should be paid to the player selected.
However, the Italian has suggested that the Santos forward is part of his thoughts as Brazil consider their options ahead of the World Cup, which will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19.
“He’s a great talent and it’s natural for people to think he can help us win the next World Cup,” Ancelotti said in an interview with French newspaper L’Equipe.
“He is currently being evaluated by the CBF (Brazilian Football Confederation) and myself and he still has two months to show that he has the qualities to play in the next World Cup.
“After the knee injury, Neymar has come back well and is scoring goals. He needs to move in this direction and improve his fitness. He is on the right path.”
Brazil are in Group C of the World Cup, along with Morocco, Haiti and Scotland, and will open the tournament in New Jersey on June 13th.
