Davide Ancelotti keeps Neymar's World Cup hope alive | OneFootball

With just over 60 days to go before the World Cup begins, the question in Brazil is whether Neymar will make the squad list or not. On the matter, Davide Ancelotti—son and assistant coach to Brazil’s manager—spoke about his situation and said the forward can still be called up if he manages to get back to his best.

Carlo Ancelotti’s son explained that the final decision has not yet been made and that there will be time to assess him. “It’s the coach’s decision, and he has time to make it,” he said in an interview with the BBC. He also stressed: “The final list will be made public on May 18. He is the all-time top scorer and has a chance. He has time to get back to the highest level and make the list.”

The forward, now at Santos, is going through an inconsistent spell marked by injuries, which has prevented him from having continuity with the national team since November 2023. Even so, he was recently called up, although he had to withdraw because of physical problems.

At the start of the season, the 34-year-old attacker showed flashes of his class with three goals and three assists in six matches. He was even decisive over the past year in helping his team avoid relegation, despite his physical limitations.

As the call-up deadline approaches, the margin is slim: he will have just 11 matches to convince the coaching staff, including international fixtures such as the clash against San Lorenzo in the Copa Sudamericana.

During the last FIFA international window, he took the opportunity to undergo regenerative treatment on his left knee, with the aim of speeding up his recovery and avoiding further setbacks in a sensitive area.

The head coach’s message had already been clear regarding his physical condition. “If he gets to the next World Cup at 100%, he can take part. Why isn’t he on this list right now? Because he is not at 100%. We need players who are at 100% right now. But as I said, the final list will be different. Neymar has to keep working and playing, showing his quality while in good physical condition,” Carlo Ancelotti said.

Going deeper on the subject, the Italian insisted that the assessment is based exclusively on fitness and not on his talent. “It’s a physical assessment, not a technical one. Neymar is very good on the ball. For the coaching staff, and for me, he still has not reached his maximum potential. He has to work to achieve that. This is my opinion and that of the entire coaching staff, who have been and will continue following his matches in the coming months,” he said.

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