Carlo Ancelotti begins a new chapter of his career as manager of the Brazilian national team. After a historic stint with Real Madrid, winning a lot of hardware that includes multiple UEFA Champions League trophies, he will look to bring that success over to the five-time World Cup champions.
The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) introduced Ancelotti as the team’s manager during their media press conference on May 26. During the event, he revealed his entire staff and the 23 players who will represent the senior national team for the June qualifiers of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. They will face Ecuador and Paraguay during the international break.
Of the players he selected, Neymar was not one of them. At age 33, the Santos star forward stands alone as the all-time leading goalscorer for the nation with 79 goals and counting. He last played for Brazil in October 2023, where he suffered a torn ACL in the 2-0 loss against Uruguay.
Neymar has since returned from that injury but struggled to stay on the pitch due to minor injuries he picked up along the way.
Leaving a superstar of Neymar’s quality is bound for an explanation, which Ancelotti provided his reasoning behind the decision.
“I tried to select players who are in good shape,” Ancelotti said, per ESPN. “Neymar had an injury recently. Everyone knows that Neymar is a very important player, he always has been and always will be.”
“I trust Neymar, I count on him, we want him to arrive in best conditions to the World Cup…Joelinton, Rodrygo, Éderson, [Eder] Militão are also out due to injury.”
What Lies Ahead for Carlo Ancelotti, Brazil
GettyCarlo Ancelotti during his introductory press conference as Brazil’s manager on May 26, 2025.
This marks the first time in Brazil’s history that they will have a foreign coach lead them to a World Cup with Carlo Ancelotti. It’s not only a historic moment in the country’s time, but it’s also a desperation move when it comes to the national team’s form.
2023 and 2024 have been brutal years for the squad. The former saw them finish with three wins, five losses and one draw. The latter had them crash out of the quarterfinals of the 2024 Copa America as their lack of consistency was on full display throughout the World Cup qualifiers.
Brazil finds themselves at fourth place in the CONMEBOL standings with 21 points, trailing Argentina, Ecuador and Uruguay. Their last match came in a 4-1 defeat on the road to Argentina, which resulted in them firing Dorival Jr. and replacing him with Ancelotti.
Even though Neymar is not fully fit to return to the national team, Ancelotti has the resume and experience to show he can guide Brazil back to winning form. He knows how to maximize the talents of his star players, which the national team boasts with Vinicius Jr., Raphinha and Casemiro among others.
The national team has suffered plenty of heartbreak in the World Cup since winning their fifth title in 2002. Whether it was the typical quarterfinal exit, the 7-1 humiliation at home against Germany or falling in a penalty shooting to Croatia, the country has been through a lot. They will hope that Ancelotti returns them to glory.
Brazil will first play on the road against Ecuador on June 5 at 7 p.m. ET before hosting Paraguay on June 10 at 8:45 p.m. ET.
Carlo Ancelotti Explains Why He Didn’t Select Neymar in First Brazil Selection