Neymar may miss Brazil's World Cup squad for the first time since 2010 after another injury-hit stretch left his place in doubt, with Carlo Ancelotti saying the forward is still in his thoughts but that any decision will wait until the final squad is named.
The Brazil record goalscorer has featured at each of the last three World Cups, but he has not played for Brazil since 2023 and has struggled to find consistent fitness since tearing his ACL towards the end of that year. Repeated injuries have limited his ability to turn out regularly at club level, and the uncertainty now hangs over a player who once seemed certain to be part of every major tournament conversation.
Neymar returned to Santos in January 2025 after a two-year injury-hit spell in the Saudi Pro League with Al-Hilal. The move back to Brazil offered a fresh start, and he has scored goals for Santos, but fitness concerns remain the main issue shaping his World Cup prospects. For a player who has carried Brazil's attack across three editions of the tournament, the question now is whether there is enough time, and enough healthy football, to force his way back in.
Ancelotti told The Athletic that Neymar “was and is” in his thoughts, a reminder that the door has not been shut. Still, the coach made clear this summer that the final call will only come when it is time to name the Brazil squad, leaving Neymar to keep pushing for form and fitness while the clock to selection continues to run.
