Carlo Ancelotti has not closed the door on a return for Neymar to the Brazilian national team for this summer’s World Cup. The Italian even assured that the former PSG player was “on the right track.”
The Brazilian coach Carlo Ancelotti has not ruled out the possibility of Neymar being included in his list of 26 players for this year’s World Cup, stating that the forward has two months to prove that he has the required qualities. Ancelotti has consistently maintained that Neymar would be in contention if fully fit, but the forward was left out of the Brazilian squad for last month’s friendly matches against France and Croatia.
Neymar, the all-time leading scorer for Brazil with 79 goals, has not played for the national team since suffering a serious knee injury in October 2023 and has struggled to maintain consistent performances since returning to Santos last year. Brazil’s 2-1 defeat against France in Boston on March 26 led supporters to chant Neymar’s name, but Ancelotti played down the reaction at the time, stating that the focus should be on the selected players.
“It’s a great talent, and it’s normal to think that he can help us win the next World Cup,” said Carlo Ancelotti about Neymar Jr.
However, the Italian hinted that the Santos forward remains an option for Brazil, which is currently evaluating its choices for the World Cup, taking place from June 11 to July 19 in North America and Mexico. “He is currently being evaluated by the CBF (Brazilian Football Confederation) and by me, and he has two more months to prove that he has the required qualities to participate in the upcoming World Cup. After his knee injury, Neymar has made a good comeback; he is scoring goals. He must continue on this path and improve his physical condition. He is on the right track,” Ancelotti said in an interview with the French newspaper L’Équipe.
Brazil is in Group C with Morocco, Haiti, and Scotland at the World Cup and will kick off their campaign on June 13 at the New Jersey Stadium against the Achraf Hakimi-led team.
