Neymar is in the squad but won’t play. Joao Pedro isn’t in the squad at all. Welcome to Brazil’s 2026 World Cup selection, where the logic is as clear as mud.
Coach Carlo Ancelotti named his 26-man roster on May 19 for the tournament, and the two biggest talking points have nothing to do with who’s starting. They have everything to do with a player too injured to open and a striker too good to be ignored, yet ignored anyway.
Neymar’s calf, Ancelotti’s gamble
Here’s the timeline. Neymar suffered a grade 2 right calf strain during a match on May 17. Two days later, Ancelotti named him to the squad regardless. The Brazilian Football Confederation has since confirmed the forward will miss Brazil’s opening match against Morocco on June 13, with an expected absence of 2 to 3 weeks.
Ancelotti has made it clear he has no intention of replacing Neymar in the squad. The Confederation says the player is making “good progress,” which is the kind of phrase medical staffs use when they want to sound optimistic without committing to a date.
