Neymar’s nightmare scenario? Brazil makes decision on Carlo Ancelotti’s post-2026 World Cup future, and it doesn’t spell good news for Santos star
The mood around the Brazil national team is changing, and not in a way that comforts Neymar. As Carlo Ancelotti oversees a crucial reconstruction of the Selecao, a new long-term vision is quietly being shaped behind closed doors. And while some expected the 2026 World Cup to be the end of Ancelotti’s chapter, recent signals from the federation point in a very different direction — one that Neymar may not like at all. The superstar forward remains sidelined with another devastating injury, and the direction Brazil seems to be taking under the Italian tactician could reshape his place in the squad entirely.
From the moment Carlo Ancelotti took over the Brazil national team, his stance toward the Santos captain has been firm and unwavering: no guaranteed places, no sentimental inclusions, no reputational exemptions. And even now, with the 33-year-old injured again, the coach’s position remains the same.
Neymar is “on the list of players who can go to the World Cup. He has six months to make the final list,” the 66-year-old manager reminded reporters, in comments cited across Brazilian outlets. He then doubled down with a message that resonated across the country: “He needs continuity, minutes and physical condition, because talent alone is no longer enough in modern soccer.”
This season has made those demands nearly impossible. Neymar’s torn meniscus, confirmed by Santos, will keep him out for the remainder of 2025, marking his fourth injury of the year and severely compromising his match fitness ahead of the World Cup preparations. Early medical estimates suggest he will not return to competitive play until well into 2026, a timeline that clashes directly with Ancelotti’s expectations. The window the coach gave him — six months of consistent performance — has essentially evaporated.
Brazil looks to the long future, not the old guard
In the middle of this uncertainty comes the real shock: Brazil has already mapped out its direction for the post-2026 cycle. And the revelation lands like a hammer on Neymar’s future prospects. After months of internal evaluation, Brazil’s Football Confederation (CBF) has decided to begin formal talks in 2026 to keep Carlo Ancelotti beyond the World Cup.
Sources quoted by ESPN and other outlets confirm that the CBF wants Ancelotti in charge until 2030, regardless of what happens at the upcoming World Cup. The federation president, Samir Xaud, explained the logic simply: “I always believe in building a working relationship. Everything is there for it to succeed.”
CBF president Ednaldo Rodrigues added in similar comments that “a long-term partnership” is the priority, emphasising that internal alignment has rarely been this strong. This decision — concealed in its full detail until now — is the huge blow Neymar feared. Because keeping Ancelotti long-term means keeping his philosophy long-term as well: meritocracy over star power, collective shape over individual aura, continuity over nostalgia.
Ancelotti’s Brazil built without dependency — and Neymar risks becoming luxury
Under Ancelotti, Brazil has already begun shifting toward rhythm, pressing, discipline, and a stable tactical structure. Younger stars are being prioritized; roles are being redefined; the attack is being rebuilt around balance rather than individual flair. The coach is even targeting a traditional striker — a true No. 9 — something Brazil has lacked for years, and a role that inevitably reduces Neymar’s long-held positional freedom.
If Neymar returns healthy, he will still need to fight his way into a system that has learned to function without him. If his form drops again, Ancelotti’s Brazil will simply move forward. And if the five-time UEFA Champions League managerial winner remains through 2030, that philosophy becomes the backbone of the Selecao’s next era.