Neymar was once again in the spotlight off the field. The Brazilian striker confessed that he feels "annoyed" and "sad" after coach Carlo Ancelotti decided not to call him up for the Brazilian national team for the international friends against France and Croatia, the Selecao's final tune-ups before the World Cup. The current Santos player expressed his frustration after playing a match in the Kings League, where he spoke openly about his absence from the Italian coach's list. "I'm going to speak because I can't stay silent. Obviously, I'm annoyed and sad about not being called up, but my focus remains the same: day after day, training session after training session, match after match." Neymar keeps his World Cup dream alive. Despite the blow of being left out of the squad, Neymar assured that his hope of returning to the Brazilian national team and being part of the squad for the 2026 World Cup remains intact. The striker made it clear that he continues working to return to his former glory. best level and still confident of another opportunity: “We will achieve our goal.”

Carlo Ancelotti explains why Neymar wasn't called up

During the announcement of the squad for the pre-World Cup friends, Carlo Ancelotti explained that the main reason for the striker's absence is his physical condition.

The Italian coach acknowledged that Neymar demonstrates his technical quality in every match with Santos, but assured that he is still not at 100% of his physical condition, which is why he decided not to include him in the Brazilian national team list.

However, the coach left the door open for a possible return of the striker.

Ancelotti stated that he does not rule out calling up Neymar for the 2026 World Cup, as long as the player demonstrates that he has recovered his best physical and competitive level.

More than a year without playing for the Brazilian national team

Neymar's last match in a Brazilian jersey dates back to October 2023, when he suffered a serious injury in a match against Uruguay during the South American qualifiers.

Since then, the striker has gone through a difficult period marked by injuries and muscle problems, which have kept him off the field more than in competition.

Despite this situation, the forward maintains a privileged place in the history of Brazilian football: he is the top scorer for the Brazilian national team according to FIFA, a record that reinforces his importance within the Selecao.

With the 2026 World Cup on the horizon, Neymar's challenge will be to regain his best physical form to be considered again by Carlo Ancelotti and lead Brazil once more in a major international tournament.