Ancelotti explains the presence of Neymar and the absence of Bento and João Pedro in the squad

The main obstacle was the absence of Bento, who was passed over for the experienced Weverton, who is at Grêmio and is 38 years old. Revealed by Athletico, the 26-year-old Brazilian experienced upheavals during the season: he was a reserve for Cristiano Ronaldo’s team in Saudi Arabia and was going to be transferred to Genoa, in Italy.

However, he was used again by coach Jorge Jesus and regained his starting status, with a run of eight games without conceding a goal. Despite this, in the Saudi classic that could have given Al-Nassr the title, he failed badly in the last move. The error was practically a trigger, as he did not perform well in the friendly against Croatia, on the last FIFA Date in March.

With this context, Bento was passed over by Ancelotti in the final call-up. The detail is that five players — Bento, right-back Wesley (Roma), midfielder Casemiro (Manchester United) and striker Matheus Cunha (Manchester United) — had been in all of the Italian coach’s squads. In other words, only the goalkeeper did not remain on the final list throughout the cycle.

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“We evaluated Neymar throughout the year and saw that, in this last period, he played with continuity. We think he is and will be an important player in the World Cup. He has the same role and obligation as all the other 25. He has the possibility of playing, not playing, being on the bench and coming on. He has the same responsibility as others. He is an experienced player and the truth is that, in some positions, such as goalkeeper, we have privileged experience at that level. That’s why we called Weverton, from Grêmio. Experienced players that we don’t need to test, but we know their value in this type of competition“, explained Carlo Ancelotti at the press conference after the call-up.

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Despite this, Ancelotti recalled that Bento and Hugo Souza, from Corinthians, in addition to midfielders Andrey Santos and João Pedro, are still young and could be in the next World Cup cycle.

“I’m sorry that others aren’t here, like Bento and Hugo Souza were. This makes me a little sad, but they have great chances, like other young people who are not on this list, such as Andrey Santos and João Pedro, they are young people who have the opportunity to be part of the next World Cup project.“, stated the coach of the Brazilian team.

Neymar is called up for the World Cup: “The issue was physical”

Despite Neymar’s call-up, Carlo Ancelotti did not guarantee a permanent place for the Santos star. The number 10 was the most celebrated name in the call-up, held with a mega event at the Museum of Tomorrow, in Rio de Janeiro. Likewise, it was also the most discussed topic in the interview.

Ancelotti reaffirmed that the question for Neymar to be called up was only in the physical aspect, which attributes experience and quality to the group, and highlighted that the player is very loved by his teammates. With all this, expect Neymar to improve his physical condition before his World Cup debut and fight for a place in the starting team.

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“I want to be clear, clean and honest: he will play if he deserves to play. We have training and the training pitch will decide who will play. I have an idea of ​​what the starting team could be at this moment, but then I have to see how we train, if the player has the physical and mental condition for the starting team. Neymar has the same role as the other players. I think it is important not to set all expectations on a player and we have a common responsibility as a team”, went off.

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Finally, Ancelotti spoke about the anxiety for the final squad and also made it clear that it is possible for Brazil to win their sixth world championship.

“This expectation shows a country that has an extraordinary passion for football and the national team. This is very beautiful. For us, who have the opportunity to prepare for the World Cup and the possibility of giving joy to an entire country. I’m not a wizard, but I’ve been a worker in this world for 40 years. I have knowledge and confidence that this team can compete with the best in the world. We have to be demanding because the demands bring more motivation. We can get to play in the final, but is it enough? It’s better to arrive and win the final”, he added.

Called up to the Brazilian team for the 2026 World Cup; see the list

• Goalkeepers — Alisson (Liverpool), Ederson (Fenerbahçe) and Weverton (Grêmio);
• Defenders — Alex Sandro (Flamengo), Bremer (Juventus), Danilo (Flamengo), Douglas Santos (Zenit), Gabriel Magalhães (Arsenal), Ibañez (Al-Ahli), Léo Pereira (Flamengo), Marquinhos (PSG) Wesley (Roma);
• Midfielders — Bruno Guimarães (Newcastle), Casemiro (Manchester United), Danilo (Botafogo), Fabinho (Al-Ittihad) and Lucas Paquetá (Flamengo);
• Attackers — Endrick (Lyon), Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal), Igor Thiago (Brendford), Luiz Henrique (Zenit), Matheus Cunha (Manchester United), Neymar (Santos), Raphinha (Barcelona), Rayan (Bournemouth) and Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid).

Calendar: see Brazil’s games in the World Cup

Brazil’s debut at the 2026 World Cup will be against Morocco. The game is scheduled for June 13th (Saturday), at 7pm (Brasília time), in New Jersey.

Brazil’s second match will be against Haiti, on June 19th (Friday), at 9:30 pm, in Philadelphia. Finally, the last round of Group C will be the match between Brazil and Scotland, on June 24th (Wednesday), at 7pm, in Miami.

• Brazil x Morocco: June 13th (Saturday), at 7pm in New Jersey
• Brazil x Haiti: June 19th (Friday), at 9:30 pm in Philadelphia
• Scotland x Brazil, June 24th (Wednesday), 7pm in Miami

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