Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti has said that any decision to include Neymar in his 2026 World Cup squad will be based purely on fitness and performance, with lingering sentiment or external pressure playing no part in the final outcome.
Ancelotti will announce the Brazil squad on Monday, with Neymar’s future in the national team once again dominating discussions across the country. The 34-year-old forward, Brazil’s all-time top goalscorer, has struggled with injuries in recent years and endured an inconsistent return to Santos, raising doubts about whether he can still meet the physical demands of top-flight international football.
“When you have to choose, you have to consider many things,” Ancelotti told Reuters in an exclusive interview on Tuesday.
“Neymar is an important player for this country because of the talent he has always shown. But he has had problems and is working hard to recover. He has improved a lot recently and is playing regularly. Of course, it is not such an easy decision for me. We have to weigh the pros and cons carefully.”
Ancelotti spoke at the headquarters of the Brazilian Football Confederation in Rio de Janeiro, where the experienced Italian reflected on one of the most scrutinized selection decisions of his managerial career.
The former Real Madrid boss remains the only manager to have won league titles in all five of Europe’s top leagues and won five Champions League titles as a manager, in addition to two as a player.
Yet The Neymar debate continues divide Brazilian football. While several teammates have publicly supported the striker’s inclusion, supporters are unsure whether his body can still handle the demands of elite football.
“I know very well that Neymar is very loved not only by the public but also by the players,” Ancelotti said.
“This is also a factor because we have to take into account the atmosphere that will surround Neymar’s challenge. It’s not like I dropped a bomb in the dressing room. He’s very popular, he’s very loved.”
“I think it’s normal for players to express their opinion. I’m grateful to everyone who gave me advice; I thank you all. But at the end of the day, I’m the right person to make this decision, and the best person to do it is me.”
Ancelotti clarified that the support from the players reinforced only one point for him — that Neymar would not negatively affect the atmosphere in the dressing room.
“The internal atmosphere, I don’t think it will affect the team at all. The atmosphere is very positive, very clean and no matter which player is in the team, it will remain positive and clean until the end,” Ancelotti said.
“But I can’t control the outside atmosphere and what the media says.
The bigger concern for the Brazilian coach seems to be whether Neymar fits into the high-intensity system he wants the team to play at the World Cup. Ancelotti said he expects his forwards to push, track back and maintain intensity during matches.
Still, the Italian acknowledged Neymar’s recent improvement.
“He has improved a lot in the last games,” Ancelotti said.
“He’s had some very good matches recently. His conditioning has improved. He can maintain a high intensity in a match. But there are matches and matches…”
Ancelotti reiterated that the final decision would be entirely up to him.
“No one pressured me to call Neymar. I have complete autonomy,” he said. “The decision will be 100% professional. I will only take into account how he performs as a footballer. Nothing else.”
“Can I put together a perfect squad? Impossible! But I can put together a squad with fewer mistakes than others who could do it. I’m sure of that.”
– The end
Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
13 May 2026 16:37 IST
