Ancelotti’s cheeky dig at Neymar to explain his Brazil absence | OneFootball

With qualification secured for the 2026 World Cup, the Brazilian National Team is preparing for the last FIFA double matchday of the Qualifiers, where they will face the Chilean National Team at home and conclude against the Bolivian National Team at high altitude.

For these matches, the coach of the Verdeamarela, Carlo Ancelotti, announced the list of called-up players and surprised with three significant absences in the forward line, namely Vinícius Jr (suspended for one match), Neymar (suffered a minor injury), and Rodrygo.

Following this decision, the experienced coach spoke to the media in a press conference. There, he revealed that he did not communicate with the excluded players and threw a small jab by stating that if they want explanations, they can call him to get them.

“Neymar is not included because he has a minor issue from last week, but we don't need to test him. We all know him. We need him at his best physical moment so he can help in the World Cup,” he commented regarding the absence of the Santos forward.

“I have a lot of affection for Rodrygo, he played very well yesterday at Real Madrid. It was his first match in a long time. Now he has time to prepare well and return to the national team. A very important criterion is the physical aspect. A player in the national team must be at 100% of their physical condition,” he continued about the Real Madrid player.

To close the topic, he threw a jab at the two excluded players: “If they want explanations, they can call me. Rodrygo surely has my number and Neymar, I believe, does too.”

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