Brazil's big World Cup omissions: Neymar ousts US$120m striker | OneFootball

Carlo Ancelotti officially announced the list of 26 players called up to the Brazil national team for the 2026 World Cup. With the star presence of Neymar, the Italian coach gave a press conference in Rio de Janeiro in which he confirmed the Verdeamarela squad for the tournament to be played in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Despite having major players available, several notable absences stand out.

The most surprising omission was Chelsea’s João Pedro, who reportedly lost his spot because of Neymar’s inclusion. The forward had been regularly called up by Ancelotti in recent squads and was one of the standout players for the London side that won the latest Club World Cup in 2025. With 20 goals in 49 matches this season, Barcelona would reportedly be willing to pay around 100 million euros (nearly 120 million dollars) for his transfer.

Other attacking absences that drew attention were Pedro (Flamengo), Gabriel Jesus (Arsenal), Richarlison (Tottenham), and Igor Jesus (Nottingham Forest). Although Neymar’s presence grabbed the headlines, the inclusion of Endrick from Lyon (on loan from Real Madrid) and Rayan from Bournemouth was also a surprise. Igor Thiago of Brentford, even if his name is not as high-profile, was expected to be called up after scoring 22 goals in the Premier League and being second in the scoring chart only to Erling Haaland.

In midfield, there were several names battling to make the squad until the very last minute, to the point that Ancelotti called up only five midfielders, one of whom is notably attack-minded (Lucas Paquetá of Flamengo). Those left out were Joelinton (Newcastle), João Gomes (Wolverhampton), Gabriel Sara (Galatasaray), and Andrey Santos (Chelsea), another player who was cut at the last minute.

One of the most surprising decisions concerned the goalkeeping position. With Alisson Becker (Liverpool) and Ederson Moraes (Fenerbahce) as certainties, the debate centered on the third goalkeeper. While all signs pointed to Bento of Al-Nassr, where he is Cristiano Ronaldo’s teammate, Ancelotti called up Weverton, the experienced 38-year-old goalkeeper who had a standout spell with Palmeiras. He currently plays for Gremio.

The defense was not without notable absences either. The most important is Beraldo, center back for Paris Saint-Germain. He was joined by Thiago Silva (Porto), Fabricio Bruno (Cruzeiro), Caio Henrique (Monaco), and Carlos Augusto (Inter). It is worth remembering that, among the injured, the absences of Rodrygo and Éder Militão, both from Real Madrid, as well as Estevão, the young Chelsea talent whose absence was confirmed just days before the official announcement, stand out.

Among the most significant decisions announced by Ancelotti was the inclusion of Neymar, who at 34 will play in his fourth World Cup after the 2014, 2018, and 2022 tournaments. The presentation of the squad, held at the Museum of Tomorrow before thousands of fans waiting in the surrounding area, was preceded by announcements from other teams such as Bosnia, Japan, Belgium, France, and Croatia.

Brazil shares Group C with Morocco, Haiti, and Scotland. Their official debut will take place on Saturday, June 13 at 19:00 (Argentina time) against the African side, followed by the match against the Caribbean team on the 19th at 21:30. They will close the group stage against the Europeans on June 24 at 19:00.

At the press conference, Ancelotti acknowledged the weight of the decision. “It is not a perfect list. It is a list with the fewest possible mistakes,” the head coach said to the media in attendance.

When asked about the central meaning of this call-up and its outlook, the key point is that Ancelotti is approaching his first World Cup with Brazil determined to “be the most resilient team in the world” and convinced that the announced squad is capable of winning the title, according to his own words at the press conference: “The perfect team will not win the World Cup, because that does not exist. We want to be the most resilient team in the world. I am not afraid to say that we can win it

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