13 years ago, a 21-year-old Brazilian wunderkind named Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior burst onto the scene at Barcelona, giving the Seleçao hope at the 2014 World Cup, which they hosted. But Neymar’s career has been a roller-coaster: he got injured in the quarterfinals against Colombia in 2014, fracturing a vertebra, and between injury and off-the-field controversy, he’s never quite lived up to the sky-high potential that most saw for him as a youngster.

Against all odds, Neymar will get another chance to finally lift the coveted World Cup trophy for his country, as despite tearing his ACL with Saudi outfit Al-Hilal in 2023 and playing his last two seasons for a struggling Santos side, Carlo Ancelotti decided to include him as part of Brazil’s official 26-man World Cup roster.

Full Roster

Goalkeepers (3): Alisson (Liverpool), Ederson (Fenerbahçe), Wéverton (Grêmio)

Defenders (9): Alex Sandro (Flamengo), Bremer (Juventus), Danilo (Flamengo), Douglas Santos (Zenit), Gabriel Magalhães (Arsenal), Roger Ibañez (Al-Ahli), Léo Pereira (Flamengo), Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain), Wesley (Roma)

Midfielders (5): Bruno Guimarães (Newcastle United), Casemiro (Manchester United), Danilo Santos (Botafogo), Fabinho (Al-Ittihad), Lucas Paquetá (Flamengo)

Attackers (9): Endrick (Lyon), Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal), Igor Thiago (Brentford), Luiz Henrique (Zenit), Matheus Cunha (Manchester United), Neymar (Santos), Raphinha (Barcelona), Rayan (Bournemouth), Vinicius Júnior (Real Madrid)

Analysis

Key Players

Ancelotti clearly went for the veteran approach, choosing established national team heroes like Neymar (who has four goals and two assists in eight matches for Santos this season and will likely feature predominantly as a reserve in this tournament). Plus, the defense features plenty of players on the wrong side of 30, and all three goalkeepers are veteran leaders, with 38-year-old third-choice shot-stopper Wéverton the oldest player in the squad. The veteran defense provides support for a young, relatively inexperienced attack; Endrick and Rayan are both shy of their 20th birthdays, and 24-year-old Igor Thiago has been one of the Premier League’s breakout stars this season. The Seleçao have extremely strong depth on the wings, with Raphinha coming off of back-to-back strong seasons for La Liga-winning Barcelona and Vinicius turning in strong production for Real Madrid, but they lack a true striker, with Thiago probably the most reliable option.

Key Omissions

The most notable omissions from Ancelotti’s squad both play for Chelsea. João Pedro has been the Blues’ most successful signing, smashing home 15 goals and contributing five assists in 34 Premier League appearances this season, but Chelsea’s poor season overall proved detrimental enough to Pedro’s image that Ancelotti did not call him up. Meanwhile, Blues young winger Estêvao, who had managed three goals in just seven appearances in the Champions League, will miss the tournament due to an injury; he suffered a hamstring tear on club duty in April. Several other players on the bubble who did not make Brazil’s final squad include Antony, whose recent heroics helped lead Real Betis to its first Champions League qualification since 2006/07, as well as Tottenham striker Richarlison.

Brazil World Cup 2026 Odds

The Seleçao are +800 to win the World Cup, -370 to win Group C — which also features Morocco, Scotland, and Haiti — and -10000 to qualify for the knockout stages. They’ll open their tournament with a 6 p.m. ET match against the Atlas Lions on June 13th in New York/New Jersey, in which they are -160 favorites to win and +295 to draw.

Brazil is a five-time World Cup winner, lifting the trophy in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, and 2002. It last won its group in 2022, securing six points and topping that tournament’s Group G on goal difference ahead of Switzerland.