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Neymar was near retired of the latest Brazil squad named by manager Carlo Ancelotti connected Monday (March 16, 2026) for this month's friendlies, arsenic the five-time satellite champions proceed their preparations for the 2026 World Cup.
Brazil are acceptable to play France connected March 26 successful Boston and Croatia connected March 31 successful Orlando up of the tourney successful the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Neymar's lack comes aft the 34-year-old missed a caller crippled for Santos FC owed to musculus fatigue, a lucifer which Ancelotti had planned to measure him in person during a scouting travel up of the squad announcement.
Neymar, Brazil's all-time starring scorer with 79 goals, has not played for the nationalist squad since suffering a superior genu wounded successful October 2023 and has struggled to support a accordant tally of matches since returning to Santos past year.
"Neymar tin beryllium astatine the World Cup if he's 100%," Ancelotti told reporters connected Monday aft announcing his squad. "I didn't call him up due to the fact that he's not 100%. Neymar has to beryllium grooming and playing."
Neymar, astatine a Kings League lawsuit successful Sao Paulo connected Monday, said that helium was disappointed and bittersweet astir being near out.
"But I stay focused, time aft day, grooming league aft grooming session, match aft match. We volition execute our goal. The imagination continues.”
Ancelotti has called up 19-year-old Endrick, who returns to planetary enactment for the archetypal clip successful astir a year, and handed a archetypal call-up to Brentford's Igor Thiago arsenic Brazil look to refresh their attacking options.
Brazil volition play different affable against Egypt successful June earlier opening their Group C World Cup run against Morocco connected June 13.
Brazil squad:
Goalkeepers: Alisson (Liverpool), Bento (Al-Nassr), Ederson (Fenerbahce)
Defenders: Wesley (AS Roma), Alex Sandro (Flamengo), Douglas Santos (Zenit St Petersburg), Marquinhos (Paris St Germain), Gabriel Magalhaes (Arsenal), Bremer (Juventus), Danilo (Flamengo), Ibanez (Al-Ahli), Leo Pereira (Flamengo)
Midfielders: Andrey Santos (Chelsea), Casemiro (Manchester United), Danilo (Botafogo), Fabinho (Al-Ittihad), Gabriel Sara (Galatasaray)
Forwards: Endrick (Olympique Lyonnais), Igor Thiago (Brentford), Luiz Henrique (Zenit St Petersburg), Rayan (Bournemouth), Joao Pedro (Chelsea), Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal), Matheus Cunha (Manchester United), Raphinha (Barcelona), Vinicius Jr (Real Madrid)
