Ancelotti explains Neymar’s absence from Brazil squad: “He’s not 100%” | OneFootball

Coach Carlo Ancelotti justified the absence of the attacking midfielder Neymar in the Brazilian National Team call-up for the friendlies against France and Croatia in the United States. According to the Italian, the Santos player "is not 100% physically fit."

"It's a physical assessment, not a technical one. With the ball, Neymar is doing very well. He needs to improve physically. For me, he's not 100%. He needs to work to be 100% within his capabilities. This is my opinion and that of everyone on the committee who have seen and will see his games in the coming months," said Ancelotti at a press conference at the CBF headquarters on Monday.

The coach, however, emphasized that Neymar could still be on the final list for the World Cup, which will be announced on May 18. He explained that his priority for this FIFA date was to call up players who are in their physical prime.

"Neymar can be in the World Cup if he's 100%. I didn't call him now because he's not 100%. I need players who are 100%. Neymar has to keep working, playing, and showing his qualities in good physical condition," he stated.

"The priority was to call players who are 100%. The final list is another matter; I can call players who aren't 100% at that moment but who may be during the World Cup. We will have a 40-day period from the final call-up to the World Cup. This is a list of players who are physically well; we will play very important, high-intensity games in a very short period. At this moment, I prefer to call players who are 100%," he concluded.

This will be Ancelotti's last opportunity to test the Brazilian National Team before drafting the final list for the World Cup.

Brazil will face the current World Cup runner-up France on March 26 (Thursday) at 5 PM (Brasília time) at Gillette Stadium in Boston. The match against Croatia will be on March 31 (Tuesday) at 9 PM at Camping World Stadium in Orlando.

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Upcoming Matches for the Brazilian National Team

Schedule Until the World Cup

The Brazilian National Team list for the 2026 World Cup will be announced by Carlo Ancelotti on May 18. On the 25th, the group will begin preparations for the World Cup at Granja Comary, in Teresópolis, Rio de Janeiro.

The last match of the canary team on home soil will be on May 31 against Panama at Maracanã. The delegation will depart for the United States on June 1 and will have a final test before the World Cup starts, against Egypt, in Cleveland, on June 6.

The Brazilian National Team is in Group C of the World Cup. The group also includes Morocco, Haiti, and Scotland.

Brazil's debut will be on June 13 against Morocco in New Jersey. Six days later, on June 19, the team will face Haiti in Philadelphia. The Canarinho will conclude its group stage participation on the 24th against Scotland in Miami.

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