Hugo Souza speaks out after missing Brazil's final World Cup squad | OneFootball

Goalkeeper Hugo Souza spoke out on social media on Monday night (18) after not being included in Brazil’s final squad for the 2026 World Cup.

“Grateful in everything, my God. JESUS IS STILL IN THE BOAT. Grateful to everyone who rooted for this dream to come true. The ‘NOs’ that appear along the way are part of football and of life, fuel to do even more. I’ll be cheering a lot from here, GO BRAZIL!!!”, the goalkeeper posted.

Photo: Douglas Moreti/Agência Corinthians

Hugo was among the names being monitored by the coaching staff and was included in the preliminary list drawn up by Ancelotti. The battle for the third spot in the position ended up coming down to a few names from Brazilian football, but the Italian coach ultimately selected Alisson Becker of Liverpool, Ederson, and Weverton to guard Brazil’s goal at the World Cup.

The Corinthians goalkeeper had been followed by the coaching staff since Ancelotti took over the Brazilian national team. Hugo had in fact appeared in the Italian coach’s first four squads before being left out of the most recent call-up for technical reasons.

Even without taking the field, the goalkeeper was part of the Brazil squad during the friendlies against France and Croatia after Alisson’s injury. His presence in the squad raised Corinthians fans’ hopes for a possible definitive spot at the World Cup.

Although he was not initially called up, Hugo could still be summoned later if any of the registered goalkeepers suffers a physical problem. World Cup regulations allow substitutions in the position during the tournament in cases of injury.

Enjoying one of the most important seasons of his career, Hugo Souza remains a key player for Corinthians in 2026. The goalkeeper has been one of the standouts in Fernando Diniz’s squad and has been delivering decisive performances in both the Brazilian Championship and the Copa Libertadores.

Now, the No. 1’s full focus returns to Corinthians. The team’s next match takes place this Thursday (21) at 9:30 p.m. Brasília time against Peñarol at Estadio Campeón del Siglo in Uruguay, in the fifth round of the Libertadores group stage.

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