Newly appointed Brazil head coach,Carlo Ancelotti, has unveiled his maiden squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers, notably excluding Neymar while welcoming back Casemiro, Richarlison, and Antony.
The Seleção will travel to face Ecuador on June 5 before hosting Paraguay on June 10 as they look to strengthen their position in the South American qualifiers.
Neymar, Brazil’s all-time top scorer, recently returned to action for Santos after recovering from a muscular issue.
However, his last appearance for the national team dates back to October 2023 when he suffered a serious knee injury, tearing his left ACL and meniscus during an international fixture.
“I tried to select players who are in good shape,” Ancelotti stated on Monday. “Neymar had an injury recently. Everyone knows that Neymar is a very important player, he always has been and always will be.”
Meanwhile, Richarlison and Casemiro, both absent from national duty since October, make their return.
Casemiro, who played under Ancelotti at Real Madrid, has accumulated 75 caps for Brazil.
“In my opinion, he is a great player. I was lucky to be with him, I think the national team needs this type of player who has charisma, personality, talent. Brazil has always had a lot of talent,” said Ancelotti. “In modern soccer, you have to add attitude, commitment, sacrifice, and Casemiro has that. And many of those who have been called up have that.”
Antony, currently enjoying a successful loan spell at Real Betis from Manchester United, is also included. He will vie for a spot with the likes of Raphinha and Vinícius Júnior.
Raphinha comes into the squad after a stellar campaign with La Liga champions Barcelona, where he scored 34 goals and registered 22 assists in 54 appearances.
Vinícius, who finished second in the 2023 Ballon d’Or rankings and has played under Ancelotti at Madrid, remains a key figure despite a modest record of six goals in 39 caps for Brazil.
“It’s hard to say, because Vini hasn’t shown his best side yet,” Ancelotti admitted. “If that hasn’t happened, it will, because he’s an extraordinary player, hard-working and a fighter.
“The truth is that Brazilian players are very fond of their national team, and this may affect their natural thinking, in the sense that sometimes they feel a lot of pressure to perform well. This may prevent them from performing well. I am totally convinced that Vini will show his true colors with his national team.”
Brazil currently sits fourth in the CONMEBOL standings, with five losses from 14 matches and work to do to secure a spot in the next FIFA World Cup.
Full Brazil squad:
Goalkeepers: Alisson (Liverpool), Bento (Al Nassr), Hugo Souza (Corinthians)
Defenders: Alexsandro (Flamengo), Alexsandro Ribeiro (Lille), Beraldo (PSG), Carlos Augusto (Inter Milan), Danilo (Flamengo), Léo Ortiz (Flamengo), Marquinhos (PSG), Vanderson (Monaco), Wesley (Flamengo)
Midfielders: Andreas Pereira (Fulham), Andrey Santos (Strasbourg), Bruno Guimarães (Newcastle), Casemiro (Manchester United), Éderson (Atalanta), Gerson (Flamengo)
Forwards: Antony (Betis), Estêvão (Palmeiras), Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal), Matheus Cunha (Wolverhampton), Raphinha (Barcelona), Richarlison (Tottenham), Vinícius Júnior (Real Madrid)
