See who could be the surprise in Brazil's squad call-up 🤔 | OneFootball

The time is almost here to find out which 26 Brazil players will go in search of a sixth World Cup title at the 2026 World Cup!

Brazil’s final squad will be announced by Carlo Ancelotti next Monday (18), and we could have a few surprises!

With recent injuries and inconsistent performances from some names, the final list could be surprising.

Battle for the 3rd goalkeeper spot

Al-Nassr goalkeeper Bento, who has never been a unanimous favorite among fans, has seen a recent dip in form, putting his place at risk, including a blunder in the latest round of the Saudi league that delayed Cristiano Ronaldo’s club’s title.

The third-goalkeeper spot, then, could bring a surprise, with Corinthians’ Hugo Souza and Nottingham Forest’s John in the race.

However, Brazil’s goalkeeping coach, World Cup winner Taffarel, preferred to play it down when asked whether the incident could weigh on the choice of players called up for this year’s World Cup.

"If a (mistake) weighed that much, I don’t think I ever would have gone to a World Cup. He’s been having a good season over there, with consistency, and we’re keeping track of him," he said in an interview with ESPN.

Defense in focus

Éder Militão’s injury forced the coaching staff to look for alternatives in defense.

Although he has not been called up by Carletto, Thiago Silva, recently crowned Portuguese League champion with FC Porto, has emerged as a possibility because of his experience and high-level play.

Another name that could come into the picture is Alexsandro Ribeiro. The center-back was called up by Ancelotti before and is highly rated by the coaching staff.

Full-back spots still open

At right-back, Flamengo’s Danilo and Roma’s Wesley are ahead in the race, but the battle for the left side remains wide open.

Zenit’s Douglas Santos and Alex Sandro have featured in several call-ups, but Flamengo’s left-back is going through a rough patch.

That means Luciano Juba, who is flying at Bahia this season, could be an outside contender to win a place on Carletto’s list.

Bahia’s top scorer in the 2026 Brasileirão, the full-back already has 8 goals and one assist in 21 matches this season.

Question marks in midfield

Called up late in the World Cup cycle, Danilo has gained a lot of points with the coaching staff and cannot be considered a "surprise" if he makes the final list.

But Lucas Paquetá, who has had a very turbulent World Cup cycle, is an outside contender for one of the 26 spots.

Although he has modest numbers in the 2025/26 season, Paquetá has a versatile profile that the coaching staff likes a lot.

The Brazil coach will in fact be in attendance for Athletico vs Flamengo this Sunday (17) in the Brasileirão.

Gerson, of Cruzeiro, has improved a lot under Artur Jorge and is also being closely monitored.

Competition in attack

Leading the line, the uncertainty is between Pedro and João Pedro.

The Chelsea striker has been present for almost the entire preparation cycle under Ancelotti.

However, Pedro has been posting good numbers for Flamengo and is competing directly for the spot.

On the wings, the coach will have to deal with Estêvão’s absence.

The player suffered an injury and will not be physically fit to play in the World Cup.

For his place, Rayan is being considered as a replacement, with the fact that he has already been called up earlier in the cycle working in his favor.

Neymar’s situation

Having not played for the Brazilian national team since 2023, Neymar’s presence is still an unknown.

In a recent interview with Reutes, Carlo Ancelotti dismissed any pressure to call up the player, but did not rule out including Neymar on the list.

"Obviously, for me, it’s not such a simple decision. I have to carefully weigh the pros and cons. But that doesn’t put pressure on me because, as I said, for a year we’ve been evaluating not just Neymar, but all the players," said Carletto.

Brazil national team preliminary list

Goalkeepers

Defenders

Midfielders

Forwards

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.

📸 ISABELLA BONOTTO