Brazil's national football team has named 34-year-old Neymar in its 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with coach Carlo Ancelotti announcing the roster May 18 at a ceremony in Rio de Janeiro [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8].
Neymar will enter his fourth World Cup tournament, having previously played in 2014, 2018, and 2022 [2, 4, 8]. He is Brazil's all-time leading scorer with 79 goals in 128 appearances for the senior team [1, 2, 4, 9, 7, 8].
Despite his long absence from the squad since 2023 due to injuries and knee surgery, Neymar regained fitness and form. Ancelotti said, "We spent the entire year analysing Neymar. We realised that in this last period he had continuity and was in good physical condition" [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8]. Neymar himself said on May 17, "Physically, I feel great. I've been improving with every game" playing for Santos FC, where he currently is after previous spells at Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona, and Al Hilal [10, 2, 11, 3, 4, 5, 6, 12].
Ancelotti acknowledged the competitiveness of Brazil's squad selection, saying, "It was very difficult to choose these 26 players. Why? Because the competition in this country is very, very high. I know some players who have been with us this year will be unhappy" [4]. He also said, "I had all the information I needed to make the best possible decision and create a list with as few errors as possible" [1].
Notable absences include Chelsea forward João Pedro despite his recent Premier League form [2, 4, 5, 6, 9].
Brazil is drawn in Group C, facing Morocco, Haiti, and Scotland. Their opening match of the tournament will be against Morocco on June 13 in New Jersey [10, 2, 11, 4, 5, 6].
The 2026 World Cup runs from June 11 to July 19 and will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico [10, 2].
