At 34, the former Barcelona and PSG player is making his comeback with the Seleçao, with whom he has not played since October 2023, handicapped by recurring injuries. The top scorer of the Brazilian selection (79 goals in 128 selections) will play his 4th World Cup after those of 2014, 2018 and 2022.
Returning last year to Santos, his training club, Neymar had never been called up to the national team since the arrival of Ancelotti at the head of the Auriverde team in May 2025. His last meeting in the jersey of the five-time world champions dates back to October 17 2023, when he suffered a serious injury to his left knee against Uruguay which kept him away from the field for many months.
Key player at Santos
After two almost blank years at Al-Hilal, in Saudi Arabia, Neymar joined Santos in 2025, where despite numerous physical problems, he played a key role in keeping them in the first division last season, before being operated on the same left knee at the end of December.
“Physically, I feel very good,” Neymar assured the press on Sunday after his team’s defeat in the league against Coritiba (3-0). “I did my best, and it wasn’t easy. (…). I worked hard, in silence, suffering from what people said about me.”
Mitigated balance sheet for Ancelotti
Deprived of Madrid’s Rodrygo, injured in the right knee and forfeited for the World Cup, Ancelotti can also count in attack on Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr, young Lyonnais Endrick and Barcelona’s Raphinha, back from a hamstring injury. At the North American World Cup next month, Brazil will face Morocco, Scotland and Haiti in Group C.
Before that, the Italian coach’s team will play two final preparation matches, in Rio against Panama on May 31 then against Egypt on June 6 in Cleveland (United States). Since Ancelotti took office, Brazil have played ten matches, with a record of five wins, two draws and three defeats, the most recent against France (2-1) in March.
