Summary of this article
Carlo Ancelotti announces Brazil's squad for their upcoming friendlies
Neymar Jr omitted from the side due to poor form
Premier League forwards Igor Thiago and Rayan rewarded with selection
Neymar responds immediately on his exclusion
Brazil's head coach Carlo Ancelotti has left out star striker Neymar in his latest squad announcement for the Selecao's upcoming friendlies as part of their preparations for the FIFA World Cup 2026 in the summers.
The 5-time World Champions will be locking horns with France and Croatia on March 27 and April 1 respectively. Brazil are also slated to face Egypt on June 7, exactly a week before they start their 2026 World Cup campaign against Morocco at the MetLife Stadium in the USA.
It will be an important World Cup campaign for the Brazilians, who were knocked out of quarter-finals in the 2022 edition by Luka Modric's Croatia by 4-2 on penalties.
But with a coach like Carlo Ancelotti in charge, the Selecao are hoping for an instant turnaround.
Carlo Ancelotti Ignores Neymar; Premier League's Igor Thiago And Rayan Rewarded With Selections
The biggest news coming at the moment from the Brazilian national team is Neymar Jr's exclusion from the squad for their upcoming friendlies.
The 34-year-old former captain has struggled to be fit since he tore his ACL in October 2023.
Moreover, in what was his last club game before Ancelotti's squad announcement, Neymar failed to impress as Santos were held to a 1-1 draw against Corinthians last Sunday.
The all-time Brazilian top-scorer failed to even register a shot on target during the match and now he is also at the risk of missing out on a potential World Cup spot.
Interestingly, Ancelotti rewarded English Premier League players Igor Thiago (Brentford) and Rayan (Bournemouth) for their impressive performances. Thiago is currently the 2nd highest goal-scorer in England's top-flight.
Neymar Upset And Sad But Determined
Hours after the announcement, Neymar told media at an event in Sao Paulo he was “upset and sad” for not being in Brazil's squad for the two friendlies.
“But my focus remains, day after day, training after training, match after match. We will reach our goal, there's still the final squad,” Neymar said.
The World Cup squad will be announced on May 18. The team's last warmup will be on May 31 against Panama in Rio de Janeiro.
Brazil will play France in Boston on March 27 and Croatia in Orlando four days later.
While speaking to the media during the squad announcement, Carlo Ancelotti stated that he has only picked those players who are 100% fit. Notably, 4 Brazil players - Eder Militao, Bruno Guimaraes, Estevao and Rodrygo are currently out injured.
“This is a squad that takes into account players who are 100% fit," Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti said on Monday. "We had important injuries to players like Eder Militão, Bruno Guimarães, Estêvão, Rodrygo.”
Brazil's Squad For Friendlies Against France And Croatia
Goalkeepers: Alisson (Liverpool), Bento (Al-Nassr), Ederson (Fenerbahce)
Defenders: Alex Sandro (Flamengo), Danilo (Flamengo), Leo Pereira (Flamengo), Bremer (Juventus), Douglas Santos (Zenit St. Petersburg), Gabriel Magalhaes (Arsenal), Ibanez (Al-Ahli), Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain), Wesley (Roma)
Midfielders: Andrey Santos (Chelsea), Casemiro (Manchester United), Danilo (Botafogo), Fabinho (Al-Ittihad), Gabriel Sara (Galatasaray)
Forwards: Endrick (Lyon), João Pedro (Chelsea), Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal), Igor Thiago (Brentford), Luiz Henrique (Zenit St. Petersburg), Matheus Cunha (Manchester United), Raphinha (Barcelona), Rayan (Bournemouth), Vinicius Júnior (Real Madrid)
