Official: Barcelona ace Raphinha named in Brazil squad for friendlies | OneFootball

With the 2026 FIFA World Cup only a few months away, Brazil will begin preparations this month with a couple of friendly encounters against France and Croatia.

And, the Selecao manager, Carlo Ancelotti, has now announced the squad list of players he will be calling up for the two matches, which will be played on 26 and 31 March.

As one would have expected, Barcelona winger and one of the club captains, Raphinha, has been named in the Brazil squad by Ancelotti.

The 29-year-old superstar has enjoyed another productive season despite injuries hampering him, bagging 17 goals and five assists from 29 games in all competitions.

In fact, the Brazilian international scored a hat-trick this past weekend to lead Barcelona to a 5-2 win over Sevilla in La Liga.

Raphinha’s good form has been rewarded with a call-up to the national team, with the winger expected to be a central figure in Ancelotti’s plans for the World Cup.

It must be remembered that the 29-year-old winger was not part of Brazil’s last four matches, back in October and November 2025, due to hamstring issues.

Raphinha will, thus, be aiming to make an impact in the games against France and Croatia later this month and cement his place in the Brazil roster for the World Cup.