Will Neymar travel to the World Cup with Brazil this summer? In any case, the chances for the technical wizard seem to be dwindling, as national team coach Carlo Ancelotti has left him off the roster for the upcoming two matches.
“Neymar can go to the World Cup—if he’s 100 percent fit,” said Carlo Ancelotti when announcing his squad, adding, “I didn’t call him up because he’s not at 100 percent. We need players who are at their best. Neymar needs to keep working, playing, and demonstrating his qualities and good physical condition.”
Still the world’s most expensive player (transferred from FC Barcelona to Paris St. Germain for 222 million euros in 2017), he made his comeback a few weeks ago following knee surgery. He scored a brace for FC Santos in their 2-1 win over Vasco da Gama, and in the 1-1 draw against Corinthians over the weekend, the now 34-year-old set up his team’s only goal.
However, these performances were not enough for the international matches just yet; Ancelotti wants the playmaker to find his rhythm even more. Neymar will therefore miss the two international matches against France and Croatia on March 26 and 31. These two games are the Brazilians’ final tests before the World Cup squad is announced.
It has been a while since Neymar played his last of 128 international matches (79 goals) to date. In October 2023, the 34-year-old suffered a torn cruciate ligament in his knee during a 0-2 loss to Uruguay in World Cup qualifying and had to be substituted shortly before halftime. He has not played for the record-holding world champions since then.
Since that serious setback, the former face of the Seleção has never regained his former form; injuries have repeatedly set him back. In January 2025, the Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal allowed Neymar to move to his home club, FC Santos, in Brazil on a free transfer.
At this summer’s World Cup in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, Brazil faces Haiti, Morocco, and Scotland in Group C. Ancelotti’s team is, of course, the clear favorite to win the group. In the last World Cup, the record-breaking champions were eliminated in the quarterfinals by Croatia.