The Italian technician is keen to avoid any errors when announcing his final list. Ancelotti is yet to call on Neymar since taking over as Seleção boss, but insists the door remains open to the former FC Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain superstar.
When did Neymar play his last match for Brazil?
Neymar is the top scorer in his country’s history, with 79 goals in 128 appearances. However, he has not worn the famous yellow jersey since October 2023, when he injured his knee ligaments during a World Cup qualifying match against Uruguay.
A long recovery followed this injury, and his contract with Saudi club Al-Hilal was eventually terminated. This decision allowed Neymar to return to the country and join his training club, Santos.
Is Neymar part of Brazil’s World Cup plans? Ancelotti explains.
New physical problems prevented the 33-year-old playmaker from convincing Ancelotti of his value and returning to the selection. Neymar has once again been left out of Brazil’s squad list for the friendly against Tunisia, which will take place in Lille, France.
Unsurprisingly, Ancelotti is regularly questioned about the presence of his iconic number 10 in his plans. Learning that the question had followed him from South America to Europe, he told reporters: “I thought the Neymar subject only concerned Brazil, but I see it is a global problem. Fortunately, he recovered from his injury. He now has six months to play. The Brazilian championship ends on December 7, he will then be able to take a vacation, then he will play the Brazilian championship again to show his quality and, of course, his physical form. »
Ancelotti then revealed that Neymar was among his choices for the World Cup, but made it clear that he would not take any risks with the composition of the team which prepares to compete for the world title in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
He added: “ Neymar is one of the players likely to participate in the World Cup. He now has six months to join the final list. We just need to observe him and other players to avoid any mistakes in the final selection. »
