Only seven months remain before the 2026 World Cup, and with the global stage fast approaching, national teams are deep into their preparation process. Brazil is no exception. Head coach Carlo Ancelotti has announced his latest squad list for the November international window — and once again, it has sparked major controversy: Neymar has been left out.
As part of their buildup to the World Cup, the five-time champions scheduled two international friendlies for the upcoming FIFA window. They will face Senegal on Saturday, November 15, and Tunisia on Tuesday, November 18. While both African sides might not possess the same pedigree as Brazil, it’s worth noting that they have already secured qualification for the tournament.
For those matches, Ancelotti decided not to call up Neymar. Despite having recovered from his latest injury and reportedly being in good physical condition, the Italian manager opted to leave the Santos star out of the squad once again. It has now been more than two years since Neymar last represented Brazil, casting real doubt over his chances of featuring in the 2026 World Cup.
Brazil’s call-up list
- Goalkeepers: Ederson (Manchester City), Bento (Athletico Paranaense), Hugo Souza (Flamengo).
- Defenders: Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain), Eder Militao (Real Madrid), Gabriel Magalhaes (Arsenal), Danilo (Juventus), Fabricio Bruno (Flamengo), Alex Sandro (Juventus), Wesley (Corinthians), Caio Henrique (Monaco), Paulo Henrique (Atletico Mineiro), Luciano Juba (Bahia).
- Midfielders: Bruno Guimaraes (Newcastle United), Casemiro (Manchester United), Fabinho (Al Ittihad), Lucas Paqueta (West Ham United), Andrey Santos (Strasbourg).
- Forwards: Vinicius Jr. (Real Madrid), Rodrygo (Real Madrid), Estevao (Palmeiras), Vitor Roque (Barcelona), Joao Pedro (Brighton & Hove Albion), Richarlison (Tottenham Hotspur), Matheus Cunha (Wolves), Luiz Henrique (Botafogo).
Ancelotti’s reasoning behind the decision
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Back in August, when Ancelotti also chose to exclude Neymar from his roster, he addressed the situation directly. “We don’t need to test him. Everyone knows what he can do and the quality he has. What matters now is that he reaches full fitness to help the national team perform at its best in the World Cup,” he said at the time.
Despite Neymar’s recovery from his last injury, Ancelotti has once again determined that it’s best for the team to move forward without him for now. The decision has drawn significant attention across Brazil and beyond, as the World Cup countdown continues and the Selecao have only a handful of games left to fine-tune their squad.
When was Neymar’s last appearance for Brazil?
Neymar Jr.’s last appearance for Brazil came on October 17, 2023, in a World Cup Qualifier against Uruguay. Unfortunately, his night — and his qualifying campaign — ended prematurely when he suffered a torn ACL and meniscus in his left knee just before halftime. Brazil went on to lose 2-0 in Montevideo, and the devastating injury has kept Neymar out of national team action ever since.
