Who could be the surprise in Brazil's squad call-up 🤔

Who could be the surprise in Brazil's squad call-up 🤔

The time is almost here to find out which 26 Brazil players will go in search of a sixth World Cup title at the 2026 World Cup!

Brazil’s final squad will be announced by Carlo Ancelotti next Monday (18), and we could see a few surprises!

With recent injuries and inconsistent form from some players, the final list could be a surprising one.

Battle for the 3rd goalkeeper spot

Al-Nassr goalkeeper Bento, who has never been a unanimous favorite among fans, has seen a recent dip in form, putting his place at risk, including a howler in the last round of the Saudi league that delayed Cristiano Ronaldo’s club from winning the title.

The third goalkeeper spot, then, could bring a surprise, with Corinthians’ Hugo Souza and Nottingham Forest’s John in the running.

National team goalkeeping coach Taffarel, a four-time world champion, however, chose to play it down when asked whether that moment could weigh on the choice of this year’s World Cup call-ups.

"If a (mistake) weighed that much, I don’t think I ever would have gone to a World Cup. He’s been having a good season there, with consistency, and we’re keeping track of him," he said in an interview with ESPN.

Defense in focus

Éder Militão’s injury forced the coaching staff to look for alternatives in defense.

Although he was not called up by Carletto, Thiago Silva, recently crowned Liga Portugal champion with FC Porto, has emerged as a possibility because of his experience and high-level play.

Another name that could appear is Alexsandro Ribeiro. The center-back has already been called up by Ancelotti and is highly rated by the coaching staff.

Question mark in midfield

Called up near the end of the World Cup cycle, Danilo gained a lot of points with the coaching staff and cannot really be considered a "surprise" if he makes the final list.

But Lucas Paquetá, who has had a very turbulent World Cup cycle, is an outside contender for one of the 26 spots.

Although he has posted modest numbers in the 25/26 season, Paquetá has a versatile profile that the coaching staff likes a lot.

The national team coach will even be in attendance for Athletico vs Flamengo this Sunday (17) in the Brasileirão.

Gerson, of Cruzeiro, has improved a lot under Artur Jorge and is also being closely monitored.

Competition in attack

Leading the line, the uncertainty is between Pedro and João Pedro.

The Chelsea forward has been part of almost the entire preparation cycle under Ancelotti.

However, Pedro has put up good numbers for Flamengo and is directly competing for the spot.

Out wide, the coach will have to deal with Estêvão’s absence.

The player suffered an injury and will not be physically fit to play in the World Cup.

For his place, Rayan is seen as the likely replacement, with the fact that he has already been called up earlier in the cycle working in his favor.

Neymar’s situation

Having not played for Brazil since 2023, Neymar’s presence is still a question mark.

In a recent interview with Reuters, Carlo Ancelotti dismissed any pressure to call up the player, but did not rule out including Neymar on the list.

"Obviously, for me, it’s not such a simple decision. I have to carefully weigh the pros and cons. But it doesn’t put me under pressure because, as I said, for a year now we’ve been evaluating not only Neymar, but all the players," said Carletto.

Brazil national team preliminary list

Goalkeepers

• Alisson (Liverpool)
• Bento (Al-Nassr)
• Ederson (Fenerbahçe)
• Hugo Souza (Corinthians)
• John (Nottingham Forest)
• Weverton (Grêmio)

Defenders

• Alex Sandro (Flamengo)
• Alexsandro Ribeiro (Lille)
• Bremer (Juventus)
• Carlos Augusto (Inter Milan)
• Danilo (Flamengo)
• Douglas Santos (Zenit)
• Fabricio Bruno (Cruzeiro)
• Gabriel Magalhães (Arsenal)
• Ibañez (Al-Ahli)
• Kaiki Bruno (Cruzeiro)
• Leo Ortiz (Flamengo)
• Leo Pereira (Flamengo)
• Luciano Juba (Bahia)
• Marquinhos (PSG)
• Natan (Betis)
• Paulo Henrique (Vasco)
• Thiago Silva (Porto)
• Vitinho (Botafogo)
• Vitor Reis (Girona)
• Wesley (Roma)

Midfielders

• Andreas Pereira (Palmeiras)
• Andrey Santos (Chelsea)
• Bruno Guimarães (Newcastle)
• Casemiro (Manchester United)
• Danilo (Botafogo)
• Ederson (Atalanta)
• Fabinho (Al-Ittihad)
• Gabriel Sara (Galatasaray)
• Gerson (Cruzeiro)
• João Gomes (Wolverhampton)
• Lucas Paquetá (Flamengo)
• Matheus Pereira (Cruzeiro)

Forwards

• Antony (Betis)
• Endrick (Lyon)
• Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal)
• Gabriel Jesus (Arsenal)
• Igor Jesus (Nottingham Forest)
• Igor Thiago (Brentford)
• João Pedro (Chelsea)
• Kaio Jorge (Cruzeiro)
• Luiz Henrique (Zenit)
• Matheus Cunha (Manchester United)
• Neymar (Santos)
• Pedro (Flamengo)
• Raphinha (Barcelona)
• Rayan (Bournemouth)
• Richarlison (Tottenham)
• Samuel Lino (Flamengo)
• Vini Jr (Real Madrid)

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.