Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti has officially left Neymar Jr. out of the 26-man squad for the upcoming March friendlies against France and Croatia.
Despite being included in the preliminary list, the Santos forward was the headline omission when the final roster was announced on March 16, 2026. Here is the full breakdown of the situation:
The Reason for the Omission
Ancelotti clarified in a press conference that the decision was based strictly on physical condition, not technical ability. While Neymar has returned to action for Santos, he recently suffered from muscular fatigue and a minor strain that prevented him from playing in a match Ancelotti attended personally to scout him.
"Neymar is very good with the ball, but he needs to improve physically," Ancelotti stated. "I need players who are 100% fit right now. For the final [World Cup] list, the conversation is different."
Brazil's Full 26-Man Squad
The squad features a heavy emphasis on youth and includes several first-time call-ups.Position Players
Goalkeepers Alisson (Liverpool), Bento (Al-Nassr), Ederson (Fenerbahce)
Defenders Marquinhos, Gabriel Magalhães, Danilo, Alex Sandro, Bremer, Ibañez, Léo Pereira, Douglas Santos, Wesley
Midfielders Casemiro, Fabinho, Andrey Santos, Danilo (Botafogo), Gabriel Sara
Forwards Vinícius Júnior, Endrick, Raphinha, Gabriel Martinelli, Igor Thiago, João Pedro, Luiz Henrique, Matheus Cunha, Rayan
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