Neymar's World Cup call based on fitness and form, not sentiment: Brazil's Ancelotti

Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti said Neymar's place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup squad will be decided purely on fitness and form rather than emotion or reputation, as the veteran forward fights to prove he can still meet the demands of elite international football.

In Short

• Ancelotti to decide Neymar's World Cup inclusion based on fitness and form only
• Neymar is Brazil's top scorer but has faced recent injury issues
• Ancelotti stresses team intensity and Neymar's recent fitness gains

Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti said any decision on whether to include Neymar in his squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be based purely on fitness and performance, insisting sentiment or outside pressure would play no role in the final call.

Ancelotti will announce Brazil’s squad on Monday, with Neymar’s future in the national team once again dominating discussion across the country. The 34-year-old forward, Brazil’s all-time leading scorer, has struggled with injuries in recent years and endured an inconsistent return at Santos, leaving doubts over whether he can still meet the physical demands of top-level international football.

“When you have to choose, you have to consider many things,” Ancelotti told Reuters in an exclusive interview on Tuesday.

“Neymar is an important player for this country because of the talent he has always shown. But he has had problems and is working hard to recover. He has improved a lot recently and is playing regularly. It is, obviously, not such an easy decision for me. We have to weigh up the pros and cons carefully.”

Ancelotti spoke at the Brazilian Football Confederation headquarters in Rio de Janeiro, where the veteran Italian reflected on one of the most closely scrutinised selection decisions of his managerial career.

The former Real Madrid boss remains the only coach to have won league titles in all of Europe’s top five leagues and has claimed five Champions League titles as a manager, in addition to two as a player.

Yet the Neymar debate continues to divide Brazilian football. While several teammates have publicly backed the forward’s inclusion, supporters remain uncertain about whether his body can still cope with the demands of elite football.

“I know full well that Neymar is much loved, not only by the public but also by the players,” Ancelotti said.

“This is also a factor, because we have to consider the atmosphere that will surround Neymar's call-up. It's not as if I'm going to drop a bombshell in the dressing room. He's very well-liked, he's very much loved.

“I think it's normal for the players to express their opinion. I'm grateful to everyone who has given me advice; I thank you all. But ultimately, the right person to make this decision, the one best placed to do so, is me.”

Ancelotti clarified that the support from players only reinforced one point for him — that Neymar would not negatively affect the dressing room atmosphere.

“The internal atmosphere, I don't think it will affect the team at all. The atmosphere is a very positive, very clean one, and no matter which player is in the squad, it will remain positive and clean right to the end,” Ancelotti said.

“But I can't control the external atmosphere and what the media says.”

The bigger concern for the Brazil coach appears to be whether Neymar fits into the high-intensity system he wants the team to play at the World Cup. Ancelotti said he expects his forwards to press, track back and maintain intensity throughout matches.

Still, the Italian acknowledged Neymar’s recent improvement.

“He has improved his fitness a lot in recent matches,” Ancelotti said.

“He has played some very good matches lately. His fitness has improved. He can maintain a high intensity in a match. But there are matches and matches...”

Ancelotti reiterated that the final decision would rest entirely with him.

“I haven't been pressured by anyone to call up Neymar. I have complete autonomy,” he said. “The decision will be 100% professional. I will only take into account how he is performing as a footballer. Nothing else.

“Can I draw up a perfect squad? Impossible! But I can draw up a squad with fewer mistakes than others who might do so. Of that I am certain.”

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