What Ancelotti said about Neymar’s performance in the 2026 World Cup

Neymar has not yet had a chance to play under new Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti. The Brazil star was absent from the first two World Cup qualifiers under him. There was also speculation as to whether Neymar would be in the former Real Madrid coach’s plans for the next World Cup. In the meantime, the new coach gave fans some relief.

Five-time champions Brazil have already secured their ticket to the World Cup from the CONMEBOL region. Ancelotti believes that Neymar will be an important player for the team in the World Cup to be held in America next year. In an interview yesterday (Thursday), he said that Neymar is an important footballer for the team. He hopes that he will return to the national team soon.

Ancelotti said, “Neymar is going to be an important player for our team in the World Cup. He has to prepare well. That time is also in his hands. I have also spoken to Neymar about preparing well. We believe that Neymar can play an important role in the World Cup.”

Once one of the world’s best strikers, he is now far from European football. He recently signed a new contract with Brazilian club Santos, where he will play until the end of 2025. He has not played for Brazil since October 2023. He suffered a serious injury in a match against Uruguay. His contract with Saudi club Al Hilal was also terminated.

Brazil have World Cup qualifiers against Chile and Bolivia in September. If all goes well, Neymar could play in those matches. He is Brazil’s top scorer with 79 goals in 128 matches.