Brought to Brazil. Neymar Back in his World Cup plans, the veteran forward made a dramatic return to the national squad almost three years after his last appearance for the Seleção. Coach Carlo Ancelotti confirmed the 34-year-old’s inclusion when he announced Brazil’s 26-man squad at a gala event in Rio de Janeiro on Monday. The announcement drew huge cheers from the crowd as Neymar’s name was read out, highlighting the excitement surrounding his return. Neymar, Brazil’s all-time top scorer with 79 goals in 128 international matches, has not played for the national team since suffering a serious knee injury during a World Cup qualifier against Uruguay in 2023. Questions about whether the former FC Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain FC star would return to the international set-up had persisted for months. Injury setbacks and inconsistent form have kept him out of contention, and Ancelotti himself previously left Neymar out of Brazil’s March friendlies against France and Croatia over fitness concerns. However, Neymar’s return to boyhood club Santos FC earlier this year seems to have helped him regain the confidence of Brazil’s coaching staff. “We monitored Neymar throughout the year and observed that in recent days he has been playing consistently and his physical condition has improved,” Ancelotti said. “We believe he is a key player.” Despite the recall, Neymar has continued to struggle with injuries since joining Santos. Since his return to the Brazilian team in 2026, he has made only 15 appearances in 31 matches. The veteran attacker is now preparing for what could be his fourth World Cup campaign after previously representing Brazil at the 2014, 2018 and 2022 tournaments. Brazil, chasing a record sixth World Cup, will open their campaign on June 13 against USA, Canada and Morocco in Mexico, before facing Haiti and Scotland in Group C. Neymar’s return also bolstered an already dangerous Brazilian attack that includes Raphinha and VinÃcius Júnior. Ancelotti, meanwhile, stressed that mental toughness rather than perfection will decide the tournament. “The World Cup will not be won by the best team – because there is no such thing as a best team,” he said. “It’s the most resilient team that wins.”
