Neymar has hit back at Carlo Ancelotti’s reason for omitting him from the Brazilian national team, contradicting what the legendary manager said.
The latest set of FIFA World Cup qualifiers is on the horizon, but the Selecao have already booked their place at the beautiful game’s biggest tournament come 2026. With very little at stake for the five-time world champions, the inclusion of their all-time leading scorer, Neymar, was expected.
The 33-year-old has not represented his nation since suffering a serious knee injury in 2023, but his exclusion from the latest Brazil squad is believed to have come as a surprise to many.
When questioned about why the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain star had not been included in the latest squad set to take on Chile and Bolivia, Ancelotti claimed that the skilful attacker was nursing “a minor issue last week”, and there was no need to risk aggravating it.
“We all know Neymar. We need him at his best physically so he can help at the World Cup,” the five-time UEFA Champions League-winning coach said, according to beIN Sports.
However, Neymar has now come out and refuted the Italian’s claims, giving a statement after Santos played a 0-0 draw against Fluminense in which he said:
“It was a muscle oedema, but nothing serious. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have played today or against Bahia the other day. If I was left out, it was a technical decision; it had nothing to do with my physical condition. It’s the coach’s decision. I respect it. I’m out, and now it’s my turn to support the national team,” said the attacker.
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