Joao Pedro has revealed his disappointment at missing out on a place in Brazil’s World Cup squad but said he will be cheering on Neymar and the rest of the players this summer.
Pedro has scored 20 goals in all competitions in his debut season at Chelsea – and was this morning named their player of the year – but that was not enough as Ancelotti dropped a bombshell by instead selecting Neymar, who has not played for his country since tearing an ACL in a World Cup qualifier against Uruguay on October 17, 2023.
It will undoubtedly be a bitter blow for the 24-year-old but he took the news with remarkable poise.
In a post on Instagram, he wrote: “I tried to give my best at all times. Unfortunately, it wasn’t possible to fulfil this dream of representing my country in a World Cup, but I remain calm and focused, as I always try to be.
“Joys and frustrations are part of football. From now on, I wish good luck to everyone who is there and I will be just another fan cheering for them to bring the sixth title home.”
Pedro struggled with Brazil while Neymar has record to back up inclusion
Although he has had a strong season at club level, Pedro has struggled to make the leap to international football, failing to score in any of his eight Brazil appearances.
That could have swayed Ancelotti into plumping for Neymar, who is Brazil’s record scorer with 79 goals in 128 international appearances.
Nevertheless, former Real Madrid boss Ancelotti suggested it was a close call and offered his apologies to Pedro.
Questioned on the decision, Ancelotti said: “I understand people say European football is different, more intense. We also talk about how playing football here [in Brazil] is very complicated.
“There’s the schedule, the travel, the heat. It’s difficult to compare. Then there are the individual characteristics of the players. We feel sorry for João Pedro because, based on the season he had in Europe, he deserved to be on this list.
“But with full awareness, respect, and competence, we chose other players. We feel very sorry for João Pedro, just like for all the others.”
