TWith 60 days left until the start of the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada, all eyes in Brazil are on whether Neymar will be included in manager Carlo Ancelotti’s roster.
Doubts about his availability have been raised after the Santos FC star was recently left out of friendly games against France and Croatia in March, and has also been absent from Verde Amarela since October 2023. However, the Italian coach’s son seems to have given Neymar hope.
Will Neymar be at the World Cup?
Carlet recently said in an interview with French newspaper L’Equipe that the former PSG player could be available for the World Cup, giving hope to fans and the 34-year-old forward himself.
Ancelotti said: “Neymar has the ability to get back to 100%. I’ve said it many times, but it’s very clear. We will bring in players who are fit. Neymar has recovered well from his knee injury and is scoring goals. He needs to continue in that direction and improve his fitness. He is on the right track.”
The 66-year-old manager also said he was not concerned about questions about the Brazilian star, saying Ney “has been evaluated by the CBF and me and he still has two months to prove he has what it takes to play in the next World Cup.”
Now, Ancelotti’s own son Davide has added another glimmer of hope for the forward: “It’s the coach’s decision. He has time to decide it,” Davide said in an interview with British broadcaster BBC (via Orr).
The final members will be announced on May 18th. He’s the all-time leading scorer and has a chance. He has time to reach peak form and earn a spot on the roster.
In this regard, the Santos star made an important decision for his competitive future and underwent reconstructive knee surgery while Seleo was playing a friendly in the United States.
With this move, Neymar sought to speed up the healing of a minor injury, prevent recurrence and strengthen the stability of a joint that has been the cause of multiple problems. Ney is the Brazilian national team’s all-time leading scorer with 79 goals in 128 games, but has not played since November 17, 2023.
For this tournament, Brazil will be placed in Group C along with Morocco, Haiti and Scotland. They will make their debut against Morocco on Saturday, June 13th at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. They will then face Haiti at Soldier Field in Philadelphia on Friday, June 19th, and Scotland at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on Wednesday, June 24th.
