Neymar has to prove his fitness for Brazil’s World Cup squad: Ancelotti

Neymar has not played for the Brazilian national team since suffering a serious knee injury in October 2023 [File: Thiago Bernardes/Reuters]

Brazil coach Carlo ‌‌Ancelotti has left open the possibility of Neymar Jr earning a ⁠⁠place in his ⁠⁠26-man squad for the FIFA World Cup, saying the forward has two months to prove he has the required ⁠⁠qualities.

Ancelotti has consistently maintained that Neymar will be in contention if he is fully fit, but the attacker was excluded from Brazil’s ⁠⁠squad for last month’s warm-up matches against France and Croatia.

Neymar, Brazil’s all-time leading scorer with 79 goals, has not played for the national team since suffering a serious knee injury in October 2023 and has struggled ‌‌to maintain a consistent run of matches since returning to Santos last year.

Brazil’s 2-1 defeat to France in Boston prompted fans to chant Neymar’s name, but Ancelotti dismissed the reaction at the time, saying attention should focus on the players selected.

However, the Italian has suggested that the Santos forward remains part of his ⁠⁠thinking as Brazil assess their options in the run-up to ⁠⁠the World Cup, which runs from June 11 to 19 July in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

“He’s a great talent, and it’s normal that people think he can help us ⁠⁠win the next World Cup,” Ancelotti said in an interview with French newspaper L’Equipe.

“He’s currently being ⁠⁠evaluated by the CBF [Brazilian Football Confederation], by ⁠⁠me, and he still has two months to show that he has the qualities to play in the next World Cup.

“After his knee injury, Neymar has made a good comeback; ‌‌he’s scoring goals. He needs to continue in this direction and improve his fitness. He’s on the right track.”

Brazil are in Group C ‌‌alongside ‌‌Morocco, Haiti and Scotland in the World Cup and will begin their campaign on June 13 in New Jersey.