Carlo Ancelotti fires World Cup warning to Neymar

Brazil boss Carlo Ancelotti has warned Neymar that he “has to be 100%” if he wants to be included in his squad for the 2026 World Cup.

Neymar, 33, has struggled with significant injury problems over the past few years and, as a result, he has only made four international appearances for Brazil since the 2022 World Cup.

The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain superstar hasn’t been included in a senior Brazil squad for two years, with his last national team cap coming in a 2-0 defeat to Uruguay in October 2023.

However, he is hoping to be involved in next summer’s World Cup.

Neymar is currently struggling with a meniscus injury in his left knee and he is expected to undergo surgery at the end of the 2025 Brazilian top flight season. But, he is playing through the pain in a bid to help his boyhood club Santos escape relegation.

They notably moved out of the relegation zone with two games remaining thanks to a 3-0 win over Sport on Friday, with Neymar opening the scoring in the 25th minute.

After the match, the Brazilian told reporters: “I’m feeling better and better. This injury is sad, it’s annoying, but it’s nothing that will stop me from doing anything. That’s why I keep playing.

“Now it’s time to think about Santos, to think about putting Santos where it deserves to be, which is in the top flight. And then we’ll see what to do.”

However, Ancelotti has warned Neymar that he must be fully fit if he wants to feature at the World Cup.

Neymar receives World Cup warning

“He has to be 100%,” Ancelotti admitted to Brazilian outlet Esporte Record when asked if Neymar will feature at next summer’s World Cup.

“There are many players who are very good, I need to choose players that are 100%. It’s not just Neymar, it could be Vinicius. If Vinicius is at 90%, I’ll call up another player who is at 100%, because it’s a team that has a very high level of competence, especially up front. Up front, we have really many good players.”

Ancelotti added: “I think he’s a great talent. He’s had the bad luck of having injuries. He couldn’t be in good physical condition because of the injuries he’s had.”

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