Carlo Ancelotti has all but confirmed what many suspected — Neymar is not in his 2026 World Cup plans. With 70 days to go before the tournament kicks off across the United States, Mexico, and Canada, Brazil's head coach has reportedly finalized a 26-man roster, and the country's most famous number 10 isn't on it.
According to ESPN, 24 of those 26 spots are already locked in. The remaining two are being contested by Lucas Paquetá, Endrick, and Igor Thiago. Neymar isn't even in that conversation.
The injury record makes the decision easy
Ancelotti and the CBF have been consistent on one point throughout: Neymar needs to be 100% fit to earn a call-up. He isn't close. His last appearance for the Canarinha was October 17, 2023 — a South American qualifier against Uruguay — when he tore his knee ligament. Since returning to Santos in January 2025, he's managed just five club appearances. Five.
That's not a fitness concern. That's a player whose body has repeatedly refused to cooperate with his ambitions. At 34, with a knee reconstruction in his recent history and a muscle strain ruling him out of the recent friendlies against France and Croatia, the case for inclusion was always going to be difficult to make.
Ancelotti's response has been to build a team that doesn't need a saviour. The approach is collective, flexible, built around a younger generation rather than the mythology of one man. It's a deliberate shift — and from a squad depth and tactical standpoint, it's defensible.
The legacy debate won't go quietly
Not everyone is comfortable with the decision. Mourinho, Romario, Ronaldo Nazario, and Cafú have all expressed surprise. Even Rodrygo and Vinícius Jr. — the two players most likely to carry Brazil's attacking threat — have spoken up in Neymar's favour. That kind of internal dissent is worth watching as the tournament approaches.
Brazil's odds to win the World Cup won't shift dramatically on this news — the squad has enough quality without him — but the betting market on top scorer and tournament breakout player just got a little more interesting. Endrick and Vinícius are the names to watch now that the old guard has been cleared out.
If Ancelotti sticks to this decision, it closes the book on one of the most talent-rich, injury-interrupted international careers in Brazilian football history. Neymar finishes as Brazil's all-time leading scorer with 79 goals. He won't get the chance to add to that number on the biggest stage.
