No Neymar but one return, Brazil announce squad for upcoming friendlies | OneFootball

With the qualification for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada confirmed, the Brazilian National Team continues its preparation. This Monday, coach Carlo Ancelotti announced the list of players called up for the next two friendlies, which will be against Senegal and Tunisia. Among the most important news is, once again, the absence of Neymar.

The historic forward of Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain returned to Santos at the beginning of 2025, but due to injuries and performance that still leaves much to be desired, he could not earn the trust of the Italian coach, and his presence in the World Cup increasingly raises doubts.

On the other hand, the presence of Fabinho, who had not been called up since Qatar 2022, Luciano Juba, a defender from Bahia, and Vitor Roque, one of the stars of Palmeiras, stands out. "I want to take advantage of these matches to observe new players like Fabinho, Luciano Juba, and Vitor Roque, who is having a great championship. We have seven players from the Brasileirao, which shows the good level of the league. With these friendlies, we aim to establish a more stable base for the National Team," he stated in a press conference.

Additionally, he referred to the current situation of Vinicius Junior and assured that he did not like the gestures he made when he was substituted in the classic against Barcelona. "We have a good relationship, and when something happens, we inform each other. I have spoken with Vinicius about the reaction, I told him what I thought, that he made a mistake. He apologized, and it's resolved. He is an important player for us, who can help us a lot. I have a great affection for him. I am not his father or his brother; I just want to be his coach," he assured.

The players called up by Ancelotti in Brazil

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