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[Awards Review]
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▶ Ancelotti banking on Neymar's experience
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[2026/05/21 ]
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The esplanade of the Museu do Amanha in Rio de Janeiro was packed with hundreds of journalists and guests gathered to follow the announcement of Brazil’s squad for the FIFA World Cup 2026™.
Carlo Ancelotti began reading through the list calmly, name by name, until it was time to announce the forwards. The Italian paused, took a deep breath, and with a wry smile, said: "Now comes the beautiful part."
 In total, nine forwards were called up, but that phrase referred to one man in particular, whose selection was wildly celebrated by those in attendance.
Neymar had not been called up to play for the Brazil national team since October 2023, when he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament in a World Cup qualifier against Uruguay.
Neymar was, by far, the biggest talking point for fans ahead of Ancelotti’s announcement, which otherwise, threw up few surprises. Since taking charge of the Seleção, the Italian has been asked countless times about the Santos forward's condition and the possibility of taking him to the World Cup. ‘Carletto’, as he is known, never ruled it out, but always made it conditional on an improvement in his physical performance.
"We evaluated Neymar throughout the entire year," explained Ancelotti, who did not guarantee that the player will be a starter. "Recently, he has been playing and has improved his physical condition. He is an important player, and he is going to be important at the World Cup.
"He has exactly the same obligations as all the other 25 players: he has the chance to play, to not play, to stay on the bench, to come on... he has the same responsibility as the others. He is an experienced player. In certain positions, such as the forwards and goalkeepers, we prioritised experience.”
Ancelotti acknowledged that Neymar’s current physical condition leaves room for improvement, but he also highlighted the value of bringing a player with his experience to such a long and challenging tournament.
"He may have the chance to improve his fitness ahead of our first World Cup match, but we believe his experience in this type of tournament, combined with how much the squad loves having him around, can help create a better environment and bring out the best in the team."
Struggling to get a run of games after suffering a serious knee injury, Neymar has made 15 appearances for Santos this season, scoring six goals and providing four assists. In several of those matches, he has been playing in the exact position where Ancelotti is thinking of utilising him: "As a more central striker."
Despite all of this, the Italian insisted that Neymar is not guaranteed any minutes in the tournament.
"He will play if he deserves to play. Training will determine whether he plays," Ancelotti stressed. "I have an idea of what the starting line-up might look like at this moment, but later we will see how we train, how the players are prepared, and if they are in good physical and mental condition to be starters.
"Neymar has the same role as the other players. It is important not to pin all expectations on a single player. We have a shared responsibility as a team. Everyone has to use their own qualities to help the Seleção win the World Cup. I’m not asking for anything else; I don't want superstars. I only want players who are going to help us win matches."
Neymar at the FIFA World Cup
This will be Neymar's fourth FIFA World Cup, having featured in the 2014, 2018, and 2022 editions.
He will become the Brazilian player with the joint-most tournament appearances, alongside Castilho, Djalma Santos, Nilton Santos, Pele, Emerson Leao, Cafu, Ronaldo, and Thiago Silva. He also has the chance to join Pele and become only the second player to wear Brazil's No10 shirt at four different World Cups. In total, Neymar has played in 13 matches, scoring eight goals and providing three assists.
His best run with Brazil came in 2014, when the Seleção reached the semi-finals, though he was ruled out of that match after picking up an injury in the quarter-final against Colombia. In the following two World Cups, Neymar and Brazil fell in the quarter-finals to Belgium and Croatia, respectively. In 2022, he scored Brazil’s goal in extra-time in the 1-1 draw against Croatia, but was denied the chance to come to his nation’s rescue in the penalty shootout, with the Seleção eliminated before he had the chance to take his spot-kick.
In his debut World Cup match, he scored two goals against Croatia, much to the delight of the Sao Paulo crowd. After drawing a blank against Mexico, he found the back of the net twice again against Cameroon.
In 2018, he arrived at the tournament on the back of a foot injury, and took some time to find his rhythm. He scored in the victories over Costa Rica and Mexico but was unable to guide Brazil to the semi-finals in a fiercely fought encounter against Belgium.
In 2022, he was injured right in the opening match against Serbia, returning only for the round of 16 tie. Even so, he left his mark in the 4-1 thrashing of Korea Republic. In the next match, he looked set to be the ultimate Brazilian hero after opening the scoring in extra time during the quarter-final against Croatia.
However, the Seleção conceded an equaliser four minutes from the final whistle and ended up going out on penalties. Now, though, Neymar has a chance to add another chapter to his illustrious World Cup story.
- The origianl text resource is from FIFA Official Website |
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