Head coach of Brazilian national team, Carlo Ancelotti, has explained why he didn’t call-up Santos’ Neymar and Real Madrid’s Rodrygo for his side’s 2026 World Cup qualifiers in September.
Recall that Ancelotti on Monday called-up 26 players for Brazil’s matches against Chile and Bolivia, taking place next month.
The likes of Neymar (injured), Rodrygo and Vinicius (suspended) were not included in the squad.
They were replaced by several new players like Kaio Jorge, Caio Henrique, Douglas Santos, João Pedro and Luiz Henrique.
Explaining his squad selection, Ancelotti said (via ESPN Brazil): “Why I didn’t call up Rodrygo? I have a lot of love for him. He still has time to recover and return to the national team.
“A player who plays in the national team must be in 100 per cent physical condition. This is a very important criteria. If a player is not 100 per cent, I can call another one without any problem.
“Did I tell Rodrygo and Neymar why they are not called up? No. They perfectly know the idea of national team, they’ve to play the matches and be in good physical condition.
“I don’t need to explain this. If they want explanations, they can call me. Rodrygo has my number, Neymar too.”
World Cup qualifiers: Why I didn’t invite Neymar, Rodrygo – Brazil coach, Ancelotti
