Ancelotti Fires Savage Neymar Snub Even After Brazil's Crushing Defeat

Brazil's unapologetic head coach Carlo Ancelotti deflected all questions about Neymar Jr. following Thursday's friendly loss to France, stating he was "satisfied" with the players currently available to him and that they deserved to be the center of attention.

Neymar was once again left out of Ancelotti's plans for Brazil's matches this month — the country's final appearances before the official World Cup squad is announced this summer. The former Real Madrid manager has remained firm in his reasoning for the star's ongoing exclusion: his physical condition.

"Neymar is not at 100% and therefore he is not on the list," Ancelotti stated when announcing his squad. "If he can be at 100% physically, he can be there."

The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain attacker, now 34 years old, has been managing a minor muscle problem and was absent from the high-profile friendly between Brazil and France on Thursday. Yet his shadow loomed large over the occasion.

During Didier Deschamps's side's 2–1 victory, Neymar's name rang out from the American crowd in Foxborough, Mass. Ancelotti was visibly unimpressed.

"We should be talking about those who were here, who played, who gave their all, who stepped up, and who worked hard," the Italian tactician remarked curtly. "I am satisfied."

The Players Keeping Neymar Off Brazil's Roster

Setting aside Neymar's fitness concerns, Ancelotti noted that "there is a lot of competition" within Brazil's attacking ranks. The Italian coach once again deployed a dynamic four-man attack against France, fielding Gabriel Martinelli, Vinicius Junior, Matheus Cunha, and Raphinha together in the starting lineup.

Those headline names come as no surprise, while Chelsea's João Pedro is also vying for the central striking role. His club teammate Estêvão was left out of March's squad, though this was likely due to the youngster only recently recovering from injury. Unlike Neymar, the 18-year-old has demonstrated an ability to return to full fitness.

Notably, Ancelotti also turned to several players outside the traditional top tier. Brentford's Igor Thiago and Bournemouth's January signing Rayan both received their first senior international call-ups this month, with the former coming off the bench against France to make his debut.

Ancelotti's Brazil Forwards for March 2026

While they may not be playing for Europe's elite clubs, there's a compelling case that competing in the demands of the Premier League week in, week out is a far tougher challenge than what Brazil's domestic league has to offer.

Partly due to their experience in England, Rayan and Thiago are also considerably more physically durable than Neymar has ever been — let alone in his current fragile state. At a time when the sport Pelé called the "beautiful game" has rarely been more physical, embracing a modern approach to squad selection may well be the prudent choice.

Not that everyone is in agreement.

Neymar Receives Support of Brazil Squad

Ancelotti may remain unconvinced, but a number of his players are still firmly backing Neymar's comeback.

"We know the quality Neymar possesses. He is indispensable for any national team, especially when he is in form," Casemiro enthused after Thursday's friendly, reaffirming his strong support for his fellow Brazilian. "For my generation, he ranks in the top three: Cristiano [Ronaldo], [Lionel] Messi and Neymar. I am a close friend of his, and it is not my place to decide who they are going to bring in."

Vinicius Jr. also offered a passionate endorsement for a player he would be directly competing against for a starting berth. "The pressure on Ney is normal, and I'm a bit biased to speak about it because Ney is one of my idols, I've followed his entire career," the Real Madrid forward acknowledged earlier this week.

"He is also one of my friends, I always wish him the best. He's doing everything to get back to 100%, to return to the national team. He's the top scorer for the greatest national team in the world."

Even France's Kylian Mbappé expressed his desire to see Neymar at the tournament. "The World Cup is the competition of the stars, all the stars are here, and in my book, Neymar is one of the biggest stars," Vinicius Jr.'s Madrid teammate declared.

Mbappé may not have to wait too long for that wish to be granted.