Neymar Junior has refused to give up on making Brazil’s squad for the upcoming World Cup, despite being left out of the team for the March friendly matches.
Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti announced a 26-man squad for the upcoming matches against France and Croatia on March 26 and 31 respectively, but the major talking point was the absence of Neymar.
The Santos forward has not played for the Selecao since 2023 and has been forced to withdraw when called up after that period due to injury worries.
Ancelotti explained the decision to leave the former Barcelona star out of his latest squad, admitting that the 34-year-old is still struggling with fitness issues.
Reacting to the latest omission, Neymar hoped to maintain full fitness to boost his chances of making the final cut for the World Cup which begins in June.
“I’m going to speak out here, because I can’t just let this pass”, Neymar said.
“Obviously I’m upset and sad not to have been selected. But the focus remains the same, day after day, training session after training session, match after match.
“We’ll achieve our goal. There’s still one final squad announcement to go and the dream lives on. That’s it, we’re in this together.”
Neymar remains Brazil’s all-time international topscorer with 79 goals and could have a chance to lead the team to glory if selected for the World Cup.
The Selecao have been placed in group C alongside Morocco, Haiti and Scotland, as they eye their first tournament triumph since lifting the 2002 edition.
Ancelotti will lead the side to face France and Croatia in two high-quality preparatory matches later this month, before concluding on selecting his final squad for the tournament in the summer.
Meanwhile, Neymar’s attention will shift to returning to form for Santos, which could increase his chances of convincing Ancelotti for a spot in the team.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
