Joao Pedro Left Out And Neymar Included: The Tactical Thinking Behind Ancelotti’s World Cup Squad | OneFootball

Carlo Ancelotti has named a 26-man squad to represent the most successful nation in FIFA World Cup history, Brazil.

Style of Play – The Reason behind No João Pedro

We will start by looking at the type of football Carlo Ancelotti appears to want to play with this Brazil side after analysing his selection.

One of the biggest talking points was the omission of João Pedro. Pedro is a focal point striker, someone who presses from the front and operates centrally. However, it is not just Pedro who has been left out. Igor Jesus has also missed out, alongside Pedro of Flamengo, Kaio Jorge, and Richarlison. These are all players who generally like to press from the front while operating centrally as more traditional forwards.

Instead, the type of attacking players Ancelotti has selected are quick, nimble, direct, and technically fluid. The flexibility of Neymar, Vinícius Júnior, Raphinha, Gabriel Martinelli, Matheus Cunha, Endrick, Luis Henrique, Igor Thiago, and Rayan appears to be something he values heavily.

The only real out-and-out number nine within that list is Igor Thiago, and it is not expected that he will be a guaranteed starter. Instead, what Ancelotti may be looking for is a fluid attacking setup, whether that be in a 4-3-3 or a 4-2-3-1, with forwards capable of rotating positions, drifting wide,  and constantly interchanging.

Many people have questioned why Pedro was left out, but the answer could simply be that Ancelotti wants fluidity rather than a fixed focal point. He appears to prefer attackers who can move across multiple positions, switch roles during matches and create unpredictability, rather than operating with a more traditional central striker where movement and variation can become more limited.

This is something Carlo Ancelotti trialled against France, where he deployed a 4-4-2 system with two holding midfielders and a fluid front four. On that occasion, the attacking quartet consisted of Raphinha, Martinelli, Vinícius Júnior and Cunha.

All of those players are capable of rotating positions and are not restricted to operating in just one role. If Ancelotti wants to become more balanced, he could easily add another midfielder and operate with a fluid front three functioning in the same way.

What stands out most is that the majority of the attacking players he has selected are capable of operating as a lone striker if needed, while also being comfortable drifting wide or dropping deeper into different areas.

While Pedro has operated on the left-hand side before, it has never really been as effective as his natural role through the middle. With the other attacking players within the squad, Brazil already have forwards who can operate across multiple positions while offering more mobility and fluidity in the final third.

That appears to be exactly what Ancelotti wants from this Brazil side, fluidity, movement, and positional freedom across the frontline rather than relying on a fixed focal point through the centre.

Brazil’s World Cup Squad

Neymar returns and Flamengo Dominate Domestic Call-Ups

Starting with the domestic call-ups, after plenty of debate over whether Neymar would be included or left out, it turns out Brazil’s all-time scorer was simply too difficult for Ancelotti to ignore. Even now with Santos, Neymar has still shown flashes of brilliance and, at times, single-handedly dragged the side through difficult moments, helping keep them away from relegation last season. He is more than deserving of his place in the squad and can now fully focus on what will most likely be his final World Cup campaign.

During Santos’ fight to avoid relegation in 2025, whilst playing injured, Neymar once again stepped up in key moments, most notably scoring a hat-trick against Juventude in one of their must-win matches.

Most recently, just before the squad announcement deadline, Neymar has scored three goals in four matches, once again putting the responsibility on his own shoulders. There was a brief scare on Sunday when he was taken off in a bizarre fashion following confusion involving the fourth official, but fortunately, he had already done enough to earn a place in Ancelotti’s plans.

Also included from the domestic contingent is veteran goalkeeper Weverton, who featured at the previous World Cup and has remained a consistent part of the national team setup over recent years.

Lucas Paquetá also makes the cut following his move from West Ham United to Flamengo. Léo Pereira joins him, alongside Alex Sandro and Danilo, highlighting the strong Flamengo presence within the squad.

Completing the domestic names is former Nottingham Forest midfielder Danilo, who has enjoyed a fantastic start to life with Botafogo. He has quickly become a key figure in the side and is fully deserving of his call-up.

Since joining Fogo, Danilo has scored seven goals and provided two assists in 12 league matches. Not bad at all for a midfielder.

It is also worth noting the form of Danilo since joining Botafogo. Operating in a high-energy box-to-box midfield role, he has become a real focal point within the side. While his substitute appearance against France was not his strongest outing, his performance in the following match against Croatia was far more assured and likely gave Ancelotti enough confidence to include him within the squad.

Ancelotti’s squad features 11 players over the age of 30, showing that he is clearly leaning towards experience heading into the tournament. That includes Casemiro, who has enjoyed a solid season with Manchester United.

Fabinho also returns to the squad, with the former Liverpool midfielder earning a recall.

Also included is Douglas Santos, the left-back who helped Brazil win Olympic gold at the 2016 Summer Olympics. He returned to the national side in 2025 and has already featured twice for Brazil this year.

There is also a strong Premier League contingent within the squad. Alongside Casemiro are Gabriel Magalhães and Gabriel Martinelli of Arsenal, Rayan, who has enjoyed a fantastic start to life with Bournemouth, and Brentford’s Igor Thiago, who has been one of the Premier League’s most clinical forwards this season, scoring 22 goals so far. Alisson Becker of Liverpool and Matheus Cunha make up the English-based contingent.

Rayan is an exciting part of the squad. He enjoyed a strong run of form with four goal involvements in four matches as he adjusted brilliantly to life on the south coast of England. Playing without fear, constantly running at defenders and attacking the opposition backline, he has fully earned his place within the Brazil squad.

Endrick was loaned to Lyon in order to rediscover form and gain regular minutes ahead of the FIFA World Cup, and that move has paid off.

He and Rayan are the youngest players within the squad, highlighting the blend of youth and experience Ancelotti has selected heading into the tournament.

While expectations around Brazil are always high given their history within the international game, there perhaps feels slightly less pressure on them this time around compared to previous generations. However, with exciting young talents like Rayan mixing alongside experienced veterans, who knows what could happen for the Brazilians?