Neymar has insisted he is not giving up on his hopes of making Brazil’s World Cup squad this summer, despite being left out of the national team for this month’s friendlies against France and Croatia.
Carlo Ancelotti confirmed the 34-year-old was omitted due to fitness concerns after announcing his latest squad, with Neymar having managed only a subdued appearance in Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Corinthians, a game Ancelotti attended, after sitting out a midweek draw at Mirassol.
Speaking during a live broadcast of a Kings League Brazil game on Monday evening, Neymar did not hide his frustration. “I’m going to speak out here, because I can’t just let this pass,” he 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.”
Hours later, he posted on Instagram with a similar message. “Thank you all for the kind messages today! Trust the process; whatever will be, will be! Work in silence.”
Ancelotti leaves door open
Neymar has not appeared for Brazil since October 2023, when he suffered a torn ACL and meniscus in his left knee during a World Cup qualifier.
Despite being excluded from every Ancelotti squad since the Italian took charge in June, the door has not been firmly shut.
The Brazil coach has stopped short of ruling Neymar out of his final World Cup squad announcement on May 18, but made his conditions clear: Neymar must “keep working, playing, showcasing his qualities and maintaining good physical condition.”
Brazil’s all-time leading scorer with 79 goals, Neymar is fighting against the clock to appear at a fourth World Cup.
