Messi hopes Ancelotti takes Neymar to Brazil’s World Cup | OneFootball

Argentina captain Lionel Messi revealed that he would love for Neymar to be called up by Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti for the World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, which will begin on June 11.

In an interview with the program Lo del Pollo, in which he also said that the Albiceleste are not the main favorites to win the World Cup and defend the title they won in Qatar 2022, La Pulga spoke about the current situation of the Santos player, with whom he played at Barcelona and PSG: «I can’t be objective, Neymar is a friend and I’d love for him to be at the World Cup and for lots of beautiful things to happen to him because he deserves it, also because of the kind of person he is, and hopefully he can be there».

At the same time, amid rumors suggesting that the Brazilian star could miss the World Cup because he is not going through his best spell due to a left knee injury that has been troubling him, Messi was emphatic: «At World Cups we want the best to be there, and Ney, no matter what shape he’s in, will always be one of them. It would be nice to have him at the World Cup because of what he means to Brazil, to football».

The 38-year-old footballer, who will turn 39 during his fifth World Cup, highlighted Ney’s personality and the relationship they forged: «He has a very special charisma and he doesn’t put on an act, he lives his life exactly as he is and does what he feels like doing without caring about the repercussions it may have. He lives his life, he’s happy, and very natural».

In his latest statement, Ancelotti did not confirm Neymar’s presence at the World Cup, but warned: «If he gets back to 100%, which he is totally capable of doing, he will be able to play for the national team. I’ve said it many times: I will call up the fittest players».

For now, after a very difficult start to the season, Neymar is getting better and better at Santos: he has been piling up plenty of playing time, his injury absences are becoming a thing of the past, and his form is matching his fitness. In the last ten matches he played, he scored five goals and provided two assists.

The 34-year-old star last played for the Canarinha in October 2023, during the derby that ended in a 2-0 win for Uruguay in the South American qualifiers. That day he played 45 minutes. Will he be there at the World Cup?

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