Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti names Santos’ Neymar in his squad during the press conference in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on May 18, 2026.
| Photo Credit: Reuters
Neymar made Brazil’s World Cup squad on Monday (May 18, 2026), a selection many local analysts and former footballers deemed unlikely only days ago.
The 34-year-old Neymar is Brazil’s all-time top goal-scorer with 79, but has struggled to return to top fitness since he tore his left ACL in October 2023.
Coach Carlo Ancelotti’s 26-man squad also features, as expected, Brazil’s main players in recent years, Vinicius Júnior and Raphinha.
The Italian coach who took over in May 2025 had not summoned Neymar until Monday (May 18, 2026).
Ancelotti extended his contract with the Brazilian Football Confederation last week to the 2030 World Cup but he has had a troubled spell in Brazil so far with many injured players out of his World Cup squad; strikers Rodrygo and Estevao are the ones he will miss the most in North America.
Brazil team
Goalkeepers: Alisson (Liverpool), Ederson (Fenerbahce), Weverton (Gremio)
Defenders: Alex Sandro, Danilo, Leo Pereira (Flamengo), Bremer (Juventus), Ibanez (Al-Ahli), Wesley (Roma), Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain), Gabriel Magalhaes (Arsenal), Douglas Santos (Zenit St. Petersburg)
Midfielders: Bruno Guimaraes (Newcastle), Casemiro (Manchester United), Danilo Santos (Botafogo), Fabinho (Al-Ittihad), Lucas Paqueta (Flamengo)
Forwards: Endrick (Lyon), Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal), Igor Thiago (Brentford), Matheus Cunha (Manchester United), Raphinha (Barcelona), Vinicius Júnior (Real Madrid), Luiz Henrique (Zenit St. Petersburg), Neymar (Santos), Rayan (Bournemouth).
Published – May 19, 2026 03:06 am IST
