Why was Neymar benched? Carlo Ancelotti reveals the reason behind Brazil’s win against Japan

Neymar Jr. / Image: Instagram @Neymarjr Brazil survived a major scare to book their place in the Round of 16 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup by defeating Japan 2-1 in a dramatic encounter at the NRG Stadium in Houston on Monday, June 29. Despite the win, one notable absentee from the event was Neymar Jr. The Brazilian superstar remained on the bench without being introduced by Carlo Head, why didn’t he introduce him throughout the competition.Ancelotti explained his decision after the match, revealing that he had only planned to use Neymar if the match was heading for extra time.“I spoke to Ney (Neymar). If we didn’t draw, he would have come on in the 60th minute. Because we drew, I saved him for 30 minutes of extra time,” Ancelotti told the host.Extra time was never needed when Brazil found the winner in stoppage time, meaning Neymar remained an unused substitute despite being fit enough to play. Ancelotti later confirmed that the veteran striker was part of his contingency plan but was ultimately not needed.Brazil will now turn their attention to the Round of 16, where they will face the winners of the Norway vs Ivory Coast clash on July 3 at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.Coming into the match, Gabriel Martinelli scored a dramatic 95th-minute winner as Brazil mounted a thrilling second-half comeback to beat Japan 2-1, Japan stunned the five-time world champions in the first half when Kaishu Sano latched on to a loose ball deep in their own half. Sano embarked on a brilliant solo sprint 40 yards before firing past Alisson to make it 1-0.Ancelotti also praised Japan for pressing Brazil throughout the competition and said his side will need to improve despite progressing to the knockout stages.“Japan made us suffer for 95 minutes. They deserve our respect, not over-the-top celebrations. Brazil is behind us but we know we have to improve. Tonight we celebrate qualifying but tomorrow we’ll get back to work because the World Cup only gets more difficult from there,” he said.