Ancelotti on Thiago Silva at Club World Cup: “He’s in top form” | OneFootball

Thiago Silva arrived at FC Porto in the January transfer window on a free transfer from Fluminense, with the aim of getting minutes and, above all, putting himself in Carlo Ancelotti’s plans for the 2026 World Cup squad. By all indications, that possibility remains open.

In an interview with The Guardian, the Italian coach said Thiago Silva is “on the radar”, highlighting the national champion’s physical condition while playing for the Dragons.

“Thiago Silva is on our radar, yes. He has been playing very well, won the Portuguese league title and is in excellent physical condition,” he began.

“Leaders are important. Fortunately, this squad has very respected leaders. Leaders who do not talk much, but set the right example, like Alisson, Casemiro, Marquinhos and Raphinha. In that sense, the squad is in good hands,” he added.

If Thiago Silva’s call-up is confirmed, this will be the experienced centre-back’s fifth World Cup appearance.

Another issue that has drawn attention is Neymar’s presence on the squad list. On this matter, Ancelotti said that the forward’s inclusion depends exclusively on the Santos player himself.

“Neymar’s call-up depends only on him. It depends on what the player shows on the pitch. That is a very clear criterion and it does not apply only to Neymar. For most players, it is necessary to assess talent and physical condition, but in Neymar’s case it is enough to look at the physical aspect because he has quality. It depends on him, not on me,” he concluded.

As a reminder, Carlo Ancelotti will announce the squad list on May 18. Brazil are in Group C together with Morocco, Scotland and Haiti.

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