Carlo Ancelotti makes final decision on Neymar’s Brazil call-up after Santos star’s return from injury

After making his return from injury at Santos, Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti has made a final decision on Neymar's call-up for the November international break.

Neymar finally made his return to the pitch this weekend after several weeks sidelined with a muscular injury. Following his comeback with Santos, and with the November international break approaching, Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti has made his final decision on the star’s return to the national team.

The Seleção will be touring Europe this month, starting in England to face Senegal on November 15, before traveling to France to meet Tunisia on the 18th. Announcing the squad list on Monday, Ancelotti confirmed that Neymar has been left out, postponing the forward’s long-awaited return to Brazil duty once again.

Neymar’s omission doesn’t come as a surprise. The Italian coach had already said he wanted the forward to be “100% fit” before rejoining the squad. When asked directly about the player’s status, Ancelotti replied: “I haven’t spoken with Neymar again. We’ll see when he’s able to recover and return to play.”

Addressing the upcoming 2026 World Cup roster, Ancelotti explained that the squad is nearly finalized. “The more time I spend with the players, the closer we get to the final list. We’re getting near the June roster. We already have 17 or 18 players locked in.

“There’s a very important FIFA date in March, when we’ll have to assess the players. It will depend on injuries, but the list is already quite defined. The March list will be very similar to the final one,” Ancelotti added. With the November squad now announced, it marks yet another year in which Neymar will not feature for the national team, meaning the Santos forward will have to wait until 2026 to wear the Verdeamarela jersey again.

Neymar replaced by new stars up front

The tear Neymar suffered in his right thigh in mid-September kept him sidelined for seven Santos games before he finally made his return on Saturday against Fortaleza, featuring for 23 minutes. Still, Ancelotti has chosen to give opportunities to other emerging players who could become valuable assets for Brazil.

Up front, and with Raphinha still out injured, the coach called up established names such as Vinícius Júnior, Rodrygo, Richarlison, João Pedro, and Matheus Cunha. He also included Chelsea prospect Estêvão, Zenit winger Luiz Henrique, and former Barcelona striker Vitor Roque, who is currently shining at Palmeiras after helping them reach the Copa Libertadores final.

Brazil squad list for November

• Goalkeepers: Bento, Ederson, Hugo Souza.
• Defenders: Alex Sandro, Caio Henrique, Danilo, Eder Militão, Fabricio Bruno, Gabriel Magalhaes, Luciano Juba, Marquinhos, Paulo Henrique, Wesley.
• Midfielders: Andrey Santos, Bruno Guimarães, Casemiro, Fabinho, Lucas Paquetá.
• Forwards: Estêvão, João Pedro, Luiz Henrique, Matheus Cunha, Richarlison, Rodrygo, Vinicius Junior, Vitor Roque.