Will Neymar participate in the 2026 World Cup? Italian Carlo Ancelotti answers! | OneFootball

There's a lot of noise surrounding the player's name.

Getty Images

Brazil national team head coach Carlo Ancelotti has directly addressed the persistent speculation surrounding veteran star Neymar's potential inclusion in the upcoming World Cup squad, delivering a clear and performance-based criterion for selection.

Amidst ongoing public debate about the 33-year-old Santos forward's role, Ancelotti moved to settle the matter decisively. The manager acknowledged the intense focus, stating, "I understand you guys are very interested in Neymar. I want to clarify."

He then outlined a transparent and conditional timeline for his decision, emphasizing current form and fitness as the sole determinants. "We are in December, World Cup is in June. When I announce the squad in May, if Neymar deserves to go, if he’s well, if he’s better or same as another, he will play the World Cup, period," Ancelotti declared, leaving no room for ambiguity regarding preferential treatment.

Neymar's case for selection will be evaluated on his output in the intervening months. His current season statistics for Santos show 8 goals and 1 assist from 19 appearances, while his contributions in World Cup qualifiers for Brazil stand at 2 goals and 3 assists from 4 matches. Ancelotti's comments firmly place the onus on the player to maintain or elevate this level of performance to secure his place in the final squad next summer.