Neymar’s chances of participating in the World Cup took a hit on Monday when Brazil’s coach, Carlo Ancelotti, left him out of the squad for two upcoming friendlies in the United States.
Brazil will play against France in Boston on March 26 and Croatia in Orlando on March 31, which are their last matches before finalizing the World Cup roster.
“Neymar is not at 100%, so he’s not on the list,” Ancelotti stated. “If he can get back to full fitness, he could be selected. Neymar has to keep working, playing, and staying in good shape.”
Neymar, 34, is Brazil’s highest goal scorer with 79 goals. However, he has not played for the national team since suffering a significant knee injury in October 2023 during a World Cup qualifier against Uruguay.
Currently playing for Santos, his original club in Brazil, Neymar previously had successful stints at Barcelona and PSG, along with a brief period at Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia.
Brazil is ranked No. 5 globally and qualified for the World Cup with ease, being placed in Group C with Haiti, Morocco, and Scotland. They will kick off the tournament against Morocco on June 13 in East Rutherford, N.J., where the final will take place on July 19.
Before the roster is finalized, Brazil will have warm-up matches against Panama on May 31 and Egypt on June 6.
Brazil has participated in every World Cup, winning five titles, a record number, but has been eliminated in the quarterfinals in four of the last five tournaments.
Neymar has played in three World Cups and missed the infamous 7-1 defeat to Germany in the semifinals in 2014 due to injury.
The 26-man squad for the friendlies includes Lyon forward Endrick and Brentford forward Igor Thiago, both receiving their first call-ups since Ancelotti became coach last year.
“We are preparing well for this World Cup. We aim to be in the best technical, physical, and mental shape,” Ancelotti said. “Some players deserve to be here due to their strong performances in their leagues.”