Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti has once again omitted Neymar from his squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in September, Afrosport reports.
It marked the second time the Italian has left out the Santos forward since taking over as Brazil manager in May.
Neymar has struggled with fitness issues, missing out on selection after suffering a thigh injury in April. He has not featured for Brazil since October 2023, when he tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and meniscus in his left knee during a qualifier against Uruguay.
The 33-year-old endured another setback last Thursday, sustaining a fresh thigh injury in training as his return to full form continues to be hampered by recurring problems since rejoining Santos in January.
Ancelotti played down the absence of the country’s all-time leading scorer, stressing that Neymar and others must regain fitness in time for next summer’s World Cup, for which Brazil have already qualified.
“Everyone knows Neymar, the national team and all the fans in Brazil,” the 66-year-old said on Monday. “Neymar, like everyone else, needs to get into good physical condition to be able to help the team do well and try to do their best in the World Cup. These two games are the last games of the qualifiers, and we need to finish this phase well.”
The Brazil boss also left out Real Madrid duo Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo Goes, but recalled West Ham midfielder Lucas Paqueta, who returns to the national team after being cleared of spot-fixing charges by the English FA in July.
Regular names such as Casemiro, Marquinhos, Alisson, Raphinha, Richarlison and Alex Sandro retain their places, while youngsters Estevao, Andrey Santos and Wesley were also handed call-ups.
CONVOCADOS! ✅
O mister Carlo Ancelotti divulgou a lista dos jogadores convocados para os jogos nos dias 4 e 9 de setembro contra Chile, no Maracanã, e Bolívia, em El Alto.
ISSO É BRASIL! 🇧🇷 pic.twitter.com/2CC0oDTypL
— brasil (@CBF_Futebol) August 25, 2025
Brazil will close their qualifying campaign with two games next month. The five-time world champions face Chile on 4 September at the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro, before travelling to El Alto to take on Bolivia on 9 September.
