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Neymar is among the 26 players who have been named in the Brazil's FIFA World Cup 2026 squad. Brazil are in Group C of the FIFA World Cup 2026, alongside Morocco, Haiti and Scotland.
Neymar has been included in the 26-member Brazil squad for the FIFA World Cup 2026. (AFP)After months of speculation, Neymar finally made it to the Brazil's FIFA World Cup 2026 squad on Monday. Aged 34 years, Neymar's inclusion in the 26-member Brazil squad deemed unlikely a few days ago considering his fitness struggles following a ACL tear in Octoner 2023. But head coach Carlo Ancelotti kept faith in Brazil's all-time top scorer with 79 goals.
“He has improved his fitness,” Ancelotti told reporters at Rio de Janeiro on Neymar. "He will be an important player in this World Cup." We chose Neymar not because we think he'll be a good substitute. We chose Neymar because we believe he can help the team, whether it's for one minute, five minutes, 90 minutes or even taking a penalty," Ancelotti added.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Neymar, who currently plays for Santos in Brazilian Serie A, was watching the Brazilian squad announcement along with his family an friends. Soon after his name was announced, the former Barcelona superstar broke into tears and hugged his closed ones.
He, in fact video called his father, and said, “we did it, dad, we did it. We made it dad, we made it” with tears flowing down his eyes. Notably, this was the first time Ancelloti called Neymar in the national squad after taking charge in May 2025. Neymar has so far scored 79 goals for Brazil.
Brazil's FIFA World Cup 2026 squad
Goalkeepers: Alisson, Ederson, Weverton;
Defenders: Alex Sandro, Danilo, Léo Pereira, Bremer, Ibanez, Wesley, Marquinhos, Gabriel Magalhães, Douglas Santos;
Midfielders: Bruno Guimarães, Casemiro, Danilo, Fabinho, Lucas Paquetá;
Forwards: Endrick, Gabriel Martinelli, Igor Thiago, Matheus Cunha, Raphinha, Vinícius Júnior, Luiz Henrique, Neymar, Rayan
Brazil will start their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign against Morocco in New Jersey on June 13, followed by matches against Haiti and Scotland.
About the Author
Koushik Paul
Koushik lives and breathes sports. After transitioning from his own aspirations of becoming a professional athlete, he successfully channeled that lifelong passion into a prolific career, documenting the action both from the sidelines and the editorial desk. With over eight years of industry experience, Koushik joined LiveMint as a Deputy Chief Content Producer in 2024, following impactful stints at Outlook India, India.com, Sportskeeda, Women’s CricZone, and OrissaPOST. A 2017 Journalism and Mass Communication graduate from Maharaja Manindra Chandra College, Kolkata, Koushik has reported on high-profile events including the FIFA U17 World Cup 2017, Ranji Trophy, FIH Pro League, FIH World League finals, the Indian Premier League, and Lionel Messi’s historic visit to Kolkata in 2025. <br><br> While he possesses a versatile command over all sports, he finds his niche in cricket, specializing in breaking news, long-form interviews, global sporting updates, and high-energy live blogs. Koushik’s professional perspective was further sharpened through the 2020 AIPS Young Reporters Programme, where he gained invaluable insights from renowned international journalists, including Keir Radnedge and Riccardo Romani from the United Kingdom, and Martin Mazur from Argentina. Currently based between Kolkata and Delhi, Koushik remains at the forefront of the breaking developments that shape the public sporting discourse. When he isn't tracking scores or deconstructing plays, he can be found exploring new landscapes on his travels or channeling his creative energy into the kitchen. <br><br> If you have a compelling story to share or know an individual who deserves the spotlight, please reach out via email at <a href="koushik.paul@htdigital.in">koushik.paul@htdigital.in</a>.
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