Carlo Ancelotti says he spoke to Brazil all-time prime scorer Neymar earlier than incomes his first win as Selecao supervisor to seal a spot on the 2026 Fifa World Cup.
Actual Madrid ahead Vinicius Junior scored the one objective of the sport within the forty fourth minute in Sao Paulo, with Neymar not noted of Ancelotti’s first squad since his arrival from Los Blancos however nonetheless part of the Italian’s plans.
“I noticed Neymar on the resort,” defined Ancelotti. “We hugged. When he’s properly, he can play anyplace on the pitch. Right this moment, he may have achieved the identical job as [Matheus] Cunha, as quantity 10. In that place, he could be very harmful.”
VINIIII JR.!!!!
TINHAA QUE SER ELE!! BELO PRESENTÃO DE ANIVERSÁRIO PARA O MISTER 🇧🇷🇧🇷
🎥TV GLOBO pic.twitter.com/1JmKVR5d3z
— CBF Futebol (@CBF_Futebol) June 11, 2025
Brazil vs Paraguay: Selecao safe World Cup place
Ancelotti’s first recreation in cost produced a 0-0 attract Ecuador on Friday however his second sparked celebrations after Vinicius Junior met new Manchester United signing Cunha’s cross to determine the competition.
The outcome ensured Brazil can be on the finals within the US, Canada and Mexico, the place Neymar is hoping to hitch them because the 33-year-old makes an attempt to regain kind and health at Santos.
The previous Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Al-Hilal striker has been troubled by a hamstring challenge since making his debut for the Brazilian giants in March and has not performed for Brazil since struggling a severe knee damage in World Cup qualifying in October 2023.
“I’ve a protracted checklist of gamers who’re everywhere in the world,” mentioned Ancelotti. “There are about 70. We may have time to judge each.
“All 70 of them can go to the World Cup. There isn’t any definitive checklist of 25 or 26. I actually appreciated the angle, dedication and environment that [my] gamers dropped at this primary [squad].”
Brazil assault: Raphinha, Martinelli, Cunha, Vinicius Junior
Madrid’s Raphinha and Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli joined Cunha and Vinicius Junior in assault towards Paraguay. “Cunha wasn’t a centre-forward,” mentioned Ancelotti.
“He was an attacking midfielder. We took benefit of the pace of Vini, Martinelli and Rapinha to assault the wings, and Cunha performed extra like a quantity 10.
“Towards Ecuador, Cunha didn’t play and Gerson did. I most well-liked three midfielders to present extra solidity on the again.
QUE HOMENAGEM! 🇧🇷✨ pic.twitter.com/CGurLD9lIX
— CBF Futebol (@CBF_Futebol) June 11, 2025
“Casemiro is a safety [figure] for the staff. His high quality, his management could be very robust. He’s a frontrunner, like Danilo, Marquinhos, Alisson… not solely due to his high quality, but additionally due to his angle.”
“It’s about having 10 gamers who run, who sacrifice themselves. Rodrygo has achieved this many instances. Neymar may also do that with none drawback.
“Raphinha is a spectacular trendy participant who combines his huge high quality with extraordinary bodily work.”
Ancelotti: Brazil ‘performed properly’
Brazil are subsequent in motion at dwelling to Chile in World Cup qualifying on September 9, and Ancelotti’s plans within the meantime embody discovering a home and attending the Membership World Cup, which begins within the US this weekend.
“It was a very good recreation and an excellent first half,” he mentioned of his facet’s efficiency towards Paraguay. “We performed properly [in terms of] possession of the ball [and] controlling it, though we didn’t end a lot.
“We slowed down within the second half, however general I believed it was a whole recreation and we’re very completely satisfied. We now have to work laborious; we’ve one yr left [until the World Cup and] it was essential to finish the qualifying spherical with these two video games, with a very good efficiency.
“The followers are completely satisfied. I wish to thank the followers for the reception they gave us. We left completely satisfied and now it’s time to look forward.”
Comemora, príncipe! 🤍🖤 pic.twitter.com/lQA44iu4MF
— Santos FC (@SantosFC) March 3, 2025
Neymar Brazil stats
Neymar has 128 caps and broke Pele’s report by scoring the 78th of his 79 worldwide targets throughout Brazil’s World Cup qualifier towards Bolivia in September 2023, however ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament towards Uruguay the next month.
After lacking two video games on the 2022 World Cup with an ankle damage, Neymar produced two targets and one assists however was a part of a staff knocked out by Croatia within the quarter-finals.
The outcome ensured he has by no means performed past the final eight of the match, having been ever-present and contributed two targets and two assists earlier than Brazil had been knocked out at that stage by Belgium in 2018.
At his first World Cup in 2014, Neymar completed on 4 targets and one help in 5 video games however missed Brazil’s 7-1 semi-final defeat to Germany and 3-0 third-placed match loss to the Netherlands by means of damage.
