Carlo Ancelotti's Bold New Brazil Squad for Friendlies
Carlo Ancelotti has torn up the old script and started again with Brazil.
Stung by a miserable World Cup and a shock round-of-16 exit to Norway, the Italian has delivered on his promise of a reset, naming a strikingly young squad for friendlies against Australia and India and leaving several giants of the recent era at home.
Alisson out, kids in
The headline omission is Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson. The long-time No. 1 is joined on the sidelines by veteran midfield anchors Casemiro and Fabinho, while Neymar remains absent after calling time on his international career.
Ancelotti has not disguised the scale of the shake-up. This is not a gentle transition; it is a deliberate pivot towards a different Brazil, one built around players who could feature at the 2028 Olympic Games and, crucially, form the spine of a 2030 World Cup challenge.
“The World Cup was a disappointment for us and for me personally,” Ancelotti admitted, speaking to ESPN. “The pain of the defeat lingers much longer. Now, however, we are motivated by the fact that we have time to prepare for a new cycle and get ready for the upcoming competitions.”
That “new cycle” starts with a clean sweep in goal. Hugo Souza, Pedro Morisco and Otavio come in, all younger, all untested at the very top level of international football. Alisson, Ancelotti stressed, is not being discarded forever — but he has been parked for now.
“We know Alisson very well, and when the competitions, like the Copa America, come, if he remains being the best goalkeeper in Brazil, Alisson will play,” Ancelotti said. “Right now, however, we have to prioritise the younger ones.”
A ruthless cull – with a core of leaders
The clear-out is brutal on paper, yet not absolute. Ancelotti has kept a small, carefully chosen leadership group to steady the dressing room and set standards.
Vinicius Junior stays. So does Raphinha. The Real Madrid star and the Barcelona winger will front an attack that also features Chelsea’s Joao Pedro, back in the fold after missing the World Cup. At the back, Paris Saint-Germain captain Marquinhos remains the defensive reference point, while Arsenal’s Bruno Guimaraes anchors a remodelled midfield.
“I chose these players to help with this change in direction,” Ancelotti explained. “They are crucial for the future and will help the younger players improve. One thing is certain: a player who is 34 or 35 years old isn’t the future; they are the present. If a player of that age is ready to play in a major tournament, they will be in the national squad.”
That line sums up the new Brazil: nobody is being written off because of their birth certificate, but nobody is guaranteed anything because of their CV.
Olympic age, World Cup ambition
The selection criteria tell their own story. Ancelotti has zeroed in on players who will still be under Olympic age in 2028. The likes of Endrick, Estevao and Rayan are not just exciting prospects; they are building blocks for a long-term project.
Across the pitch, the names underline the shift. In defence, Arthur Dias, Wesley, Gabriel Magalhaes, Douglas Santos, Jair, Matheuzinho, Maurio Junior and Vitor Reis form a new-look pool around Marquinhos. In midfield, Bruno Guimaraes is flanked by Andrey Santos, Danilo Santos, Douglas Luiz, Breno Bidon and Gabriel Bontempo, a group that blends European experience with emerging domestic talent.
Up front, the potential is obvious. Endrick, Joao Pedro, Estevao, Pedro, Raphinha, Rayan, Samuel Lino and Vinicius Junior give Brazil pace, flair and goals, but also a clear succession plan stretching well beyond the next tournament.
Australia, then history in India
The reboot will be tested first in Australia. Brazil face the Socceroos in Townsville on September 25, then again in Brisbane four days later, a double-header that should quickly reveal how these youngsters cope with the demands and expectations of wearing the shirt.
Then comes something entirely new. On October 3, the five-time world champions travel to Kolkata for their first ever match in India, a landmark occasion in a country where the Selecao command a vast, almost devotional following.
For Ancelotti, it is the perfect stage: a fresh team, a fresh cycle, and a fanbase desperate to believe that this really is the start of Brazil’s next great era.
Brazil squad
- Goalkeepers: Hugo Souza, Pedro Morisco, Otavio
- Defenders: Arthur Dias, Wesley, Marquinhos, Gabriel Magalhaes, Douglas Santos, Jair, Matheuzinho, Maurio Junior, Vitor Reis
- Midfielders: Bruno Guimaraes, Andrey Santos, Danilo Santos, Douglas Luiz, Breno Bidon, Gabriel Bontempo
- Forwards: Endrick, Joao Pedro, Estevao, Pedro, Raphinha, Rayan, Samuel Lino, Vinicius Junior
