Carlo Ancelotti names Brazil’s 26-man 2026 FIFA World Cup squad, Neymar included

RIO DE JANEIRO: Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti on Monday (local time) announced a 26-player squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with veteran forward Neymar Jr. set to feature for the five-time champions, as per the FIFA website.

Ancelotti announced Brazil’s squad for the World Cup, which will be held in the US, Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19, during an event held at the Museum of Tomorrow, a major tourist attraction in Rio de Janeiro.

Neymar’s inclusion in the squad comes after significant speculation over whether Ancelotti would select him, particularly after he was omitted from the squad for March’s friendlies. The 34-year-old Santos forward had not featured for Brazil since 2023, but he has repeatedly voiced his strong desire to play in the tournament, despite dealing with recurring hamstring and knee injuries over the past year.

𝐎𝐒 𝟐𝟔 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐕𝐎𝐂𝐀𝐃𝐎𝐒 𝐃𝐄 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐎 𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐋𝐎𝐓𝐓𝐈 𝐏𝐑𝐀 𝐂𝐎𝐏𝐀 𝐃𝐎 𝐌𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐎

A Seleção Brasileira está 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗩𝗢𝗖𝗔𝗗𝗔 para a Copa do Mundo! Estes foram os escolhidos por Ancelotti para representarem o Brasil em busca do hexa!

E aí, faltou alguém? pic.twitter.com/v8BtY03Tgk

— CazéTV (@CazeTVOficial) May 18, 2026

Alongside Neymar, several other prominent players were confirmed, including Vinicius Jr. (Real Madrid) and Raphinha (Barcelona), as well as Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain), Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Magalhaes (both from Arsenal).

While announcing the squad, Ancelotti said there is no such thing as a perfect squad, adding that perfection isn’t necessary to win the World Cup. Instead, he emphasised that a resilient team is more important and expressed his aim to build the most resilient side in the world.

“The perfect list isn’t there, I’m sure. I have to say that the perfect team won’t win the World Cup, a perfect team doesn’t exist. I think a more resilient team can win. We want to be the most resilient team in the world,” he said as quoted by the FIFA website.

The Brazil head coach said he is not afraid to say that the team aims to win the World Cup, noting that expectations are high and highlighting that motivation will be a key factor in their preparation. “I’m not afraid to say that we want to win the World Cup, because there are high expectations. Motivation is an important aspect in preparing for this World Cup,” he added.

Brazil will begin their 2026 World Cup Group C campaign against Morocco on 13 June at the New York/New Jersey Stadium. They will then travel to Philadelphia to take on Haiti on 19 June, before wrapping up the group stage on 24 June with a match against Scotland in Miami.

Brazil are the most successful team in FIFA World Cup history, having won the tournament five times (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, and 2002). However, they have not lifted the trophy in 24 years.

Brazil’s 2026 FIFA World Cup squad

Goalkeepers:
Alisson
Ederson
Weverton

Defenders:
Alex Sandro
Bremer
Danilo
Douglas Santos
Gabriel Magalhees
Ibanez
Leo Pereira
Marquinhos
Wesley

Midfielders:
Bruno Guimaraes
Casemiro
Danilo Santos
Fabinho
Lucas Paqueta

Forwards:
Endrick
Gabriel Martinelli
Igor Thiago
Luiz Henrique
Matheus Cunha
Neymar Junior
Raphinha
Rayan
Vinicius Junior. (ANI)