Neymar's Reaction to National Team Exclusion
Star striker Neymar has openly expressed his disappointment regarding his exclusion from Brazil's squad for the upcoming international matches. The 34-year-old forward conveyed his feelings through Brazilian media, stating, "This cannot simply be overlooked. Of course, I am angry and saddened that I was not selected." Nonetheless, he emphasized the importance of maintaining focus, saying, "But the focus remains day by day, training by training, game by game. We will reach our goal. There is still one final nomination pending, and the dream continues to live on."
Coach's Decision and Future Aspirations
National coach Carlo Ancelotti made the decision not to include the world's most expensive player in the squad for Brazil's upcoming trip to the USA, where they will face the vice-world champions France and Croatia on March 26 and 31. These matches serve as the final preparation tests for the Brazilian team before the announcement of their World Cup roster. Ancelotti remarked, "Neymar can go to the World Cup if he is 100 percent fit. I did not select him because he is not at 100 percent, and we need players who are performing at their best level. Neymar must continue to work, play, exhibit his qualities, and demonstrate good physical condition."
Neymar's last appearance for the record World Cup champions was more than two and a half years ago. In October 2023, he suffered a serious knee injury, specifically a cruciate ligament tear, during a World Cup qualifying match against Uruguay, forcing him to leave the pitch just before halftime. Since then, Neymar has struggled to regain his previous form. In January 2025, he transferred back to his home club, FC Santos in Brazil, from the Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal SFC, where he had joined on a free transfer. Notably, Paris Saint-Germain had previously paid a record transfer fee of 222 million euros to Barcelona for Neymar in 2017.
As reported by sport.de.
