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Neymar may well be heading to North America next month after all.
Despite being notably left out by head coach Carlo Ancelotti during the most recent international break, the 34-year-old attacker is expected to feature in Brazil's preliminary 55-man roster, from which the final 26-man squad will be drawn, according to Brazilian outlet O Globo.
The preliminary roster will be officially unveiled on Monday, with the definitive squad set to be announced on May 18.
Neymar, who overtook Pelé in 2023 as Brazil's all-time top scorer with 79 goals across 128 appearances, has not featured for the Seleção since October of that year. Ancelotti left him out of the March friendlies against France and Croatia, citing that the forward was not performing at his peak.
"Neymar is not at 100% of his capability," Ancelotti stated ahead of the March window. "If he can be at 100% physically, he can be there. Neymar could be at the World Cup. Neymar has to keep working, playing, showcasing his qualities and maintaining good physical condition."
The Brazilian icon and Barcelona legend has been repeatedly hampered by injuries in recent years, pushing him to the periphery of the national team. An ACL tear in 2023 effectively ended his consistent international involvement, and he underwent arthroscopic knee surgery last December, sidelining him for Santos' opening 12 games of the season.
Neymar, however, appears to have done enough to convince Ancelotti of his fitness following his latest December setback, putting himself in contention for a fourth World Cup appearance in his career.
Since returning to action in February, Neymar has been a standout performer for Santos. Across 12 appearances, he has netted five goals and contributed three assists, helping his hometown club rise up the standings while also playing a pivotal role in their CONMEBOL Sudamericana campaign.
Messi Weighs in on Neymar's World Cup Chances
Messi and Neymar first shared a pitch together at Barcelona, terrorizing defenses across four consecutive seasons (2013–17) and forming a lethal attacking trio alongside Luis Suárez for three of those campaigns. The pair later reunited at Paris Saint-Germain for two seasons (2021–23), accumulating a combined total of 206 matches played together throughout the decade.
"I can't be very objective, he's a friend of mine," Messi told Pollo Álvarez when asked about Neymar. "Obviously, I would love for him to go [to the World Cup] and for good things to happen to him because he deserves it.
"At World Cups, we always want the best players to be there, and Neymar, as long as he's around, will always be one of them."
Should Neymar receive the call-up, he could find himself facing Messi's Argentina across the center circle, with the two South American powerhouses potentially set to clash in the semifinals.