Neymar's World Cup Future: Ancelotti's Tough Decision
Carlo Ancelotti sat in front of the cameras on Tuesday knowing exactly what was coming. Tactics could wait. So could formations, opponents, even the World Cup itself. Brazil, once again, wanted to talk about one man.
Neymar.
On Monday, the Italian will reveal his final 26-man squad for the 2026 World Cup. Until then, the country is trapped in a single question that has spilled far beyond the football world: does its No. 10 go to the United States, or does he stay home?
Ancelotti did not dodge it.
“If you call up Neymar, you are not bringing a bomb”
Speaking to Reuters, the Brazil coach went straight to the heart of the debate. Neymar, he reminded everyone, is not just a name on a list.
"Neymar is very loved. Not only by the people, but also by the players. If you call up Neymar, you are not bringing a bomb into the locker room, because he is very dear, very loved," Ancelotti said.
He knows the noise around the forward. He hears the opinions, the demands, the pleas.
"I think it’s normal for everyone to give their opinion. I thank everyone who has given me advice," he added, with the calm of someone used to making decisions that divide nations.
The decision on Neymar will be his most symbolic call as Brazil coach. It will also be one of his most complex.
A race against time
Neymar’s last years have been dominated by injuries and questions about his physical condition. This World Cup cycle has been no different. Brazil’s No. 10 has fought his way back from another serious problem, trying to squeeze a tournament’s worth of form into a short window of fitness.
"When you have to choose, you need to consider many things," Ancelotti said. "Neymar is an important player for this country, because of the talent he has always shown, and he had a problem, but he is recovering. He is working hard to recover and he is playing. In recent times he has improved a lot and is playing consistently."
That last part matters. The coaching staff has been tracking him closely, day by day, session by session.
Ancelotti highlighted a specific turning point: the last "15 or 20 days," a period in which, according to him, Neymar’s physical condition has taken a clear step forward. It is in these final sprints before a World Cup that careers are revived or ruled out.
What is certain for now is that Neymar is alive in the process. The CBF has already sent FIFA a provisional 55-man list, and the Santos star is on it. From that long roll of names, only 26 will survive Monday’s cut.
The weight of the list
Ancelotti has picked Champions League-winning XIs and handled dressing rooms filled with Ballon d’Or winners. Even so, he made no attempt to downplay the scale of the task in front of him.
"Obviously, for me, it is not such a simple decision. I have to carefully assess the pros and cons," he admitted.
The scrutiny will be fierce. Every inclusion, every omission, every positional choice will be debated. Yet the Italian made it clear he feels no extra pressure from the Neymar storm swirling around him.
"But that does not put extra pressure on me, because, as I said, for a year we have been evaluating not only Neymar, but all the players."
There was a firmness in what followed. Ancelotti wanted to remind Brazil that, amid all the noise, one man holds the responsibility – and the information.
"I am the most suitable person to make this decision. Because the information I have about all Brazilian players this year, no one else has. So, I am the most suitable person."
He did not promise perfection. He did promise conviction.
"Can I make a perfect list? Impossible. But I can make a list with fewer mistakes compared to others. Of that, I am sure."
Shielding the camp
World Cups are often won as much in the hotel corridors as on the pitch. Leaks, distractions, external dramas – they all chip away at a team’s focus. Ancelotti moved quickly to shut down any suggestion that Brazil’s campaign might be destabilized from the outside, with or without its biggest star.
"The outside environment is under control, and it will remain under control until the end of the World Cup. With or without Neymar," he stated.
It was a line drawn clearly. This will be his group, his environment, his responsibility.
The road to the United States
Once the list drops on Monday, the talking stops for the players and the running begins.
Those called up will report to the CBF training center at Granja Comary, in Teresópolis, on May 27. Only the PSG and Arsenal players involved in the Champions League final will join later, their club season stretching to the last possible date.
Brazil will then step out in front of its own people one final time before the World Cup. On May 31, at the Maracanã, the Seleção will face Panama in a farewell friendly – a night that will be heavy with emotion, expectation, and judgment on every touch.
From there, the focus moves to U.S. soil. On June 6, in Cleveland, Brazil will play Egypt in their last warm-up match. One week later, the real thing begins.
On June 13, in New Jersey, Brazil open their World Cup campaign against Morocco.
By then, the Neymar question will have an answer. The debate will shift from “Will he go?” to something far sharper.
With or without him, will this Brazil be enough?
