Léo Pereira anxious over Brazil's final World Cup squad call-up

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Coluna do Fla

·1 maggio 2026

Léo Pereira anxious over Brazil's final World Cup squad call-up

Carlo Ancelotti called up Léo Pereira in the last FIFA international break before the World Cup

There are less than 50 days left until the start of the 2026 World Cup. With that, players are eagerly awaiting the announcement of the final squad lists for their national teams. A center back for Flamengo, Léo Pereira revealed that he is anxious for May 18, when Carlo Ancelotti will announce Brazil’s names.

Whether I’m on the list or not, if I am, it will be a dream come true. I’ll definitely be very happy and fulfilled by that dream. If I’m not, I’ll be cheering for everyone who will be there representing our people, because I think that’s the most important thing. Whether I’m there or not, and whether other players are there or not either, that outside support means a lot. And with each passing day, the anxiety keeps growing—there’s no way around it. There’s no point in me saying I’m not getting anxious, but I also know that it depends a lot on my consistency, on my performances here at Flamengo. I have to be doing well. There’s no point in thinking only about May 18 and not doing my job on the pitch and in training. I think that, regardless of whether I make this final call-up or not, we’ve already had several examples in other call-ups, in other years, of players who were only called up at the last minute. So I believe that, as Ancelotti already said, the list is practically set, and I hope I’m on it. But if I’m not, I’ll still be cheering for my teammates,” said Léo Pereira.

When is Brazil’s final squad announcement?

It is worth noting that the official Brazil squad announcement for the World Cup will take place on May 18. Thus, head coach Carlo Ancelotti will begin preparing the squad on the 25th of the same month, while the trip to the United States will be on June 1.

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Because of his strong performances for Flamengo, Léo Pereira is hoping to play in the World Cup wearing the Brazil national team shirt. The center back, in fact, made a positive impression on Carlo Ancelotti during the last FIFA international break, starting in the friendlies against France and Croatia.

What is Léo Pereira’s current situation?

An undisputed starter for Flamengo, Léo Pereira has played 18 matches in 2026, scoring one goal. It is no surprise, then, that the defender’s strong performances earned him the first Brazil call-up of his career.

With that in mind, Flamengo is planning to open talks to renew the defender’s contract. Although the center back is under contract until December 2027, Rubro-Negro knows how important the player is and wants to protect itself from possible European interest.

What is Flamengo’s next match?

Meanwhile, Flamengo remains focused on its next commitment of the season. This Sunday (03), Rubro-Negro will face Vasco at 4:00 p.m. (Brasília time) at the Maracanã, in the 14th round of the national championship.

So, as tradition dictates, Coluna do Fla will bring all the details of the match between Flamengo and Vasco through YouTube, the website, and social media. However, Globo (free-to-air), GE TV (YouTube) and Premiere (pay-per-view) will broadcast the Rio derby.

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