Brazilian football legend Ronaldo Nazário has urged national team coach Carlo Ancelotti to bring Neymar Jr. back into the Selecão squad ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Neymar, Brazil’s all-time top scorer with 79 goals in 128 matches, has not featured for the national team since suffering a serious knee injury in October 2023.
The 33-year-old forward returned to boyhood club Santos in January 2025 after an underwhelming spell with Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal, where injuries limited him to just five appearances and one goal. Despite regaining form in Brazil, Ancelotti has yet to call him up in his four matches in charge.
Speaking at a publicity event in São Paulo, Ronaldo made a passionate case for Neymar’s return:
“He is a decisive player for the Brazilian Selecão. We don’t have another player like Neymar. The people hope 100 percent that he will go to the World Cup because if he is there, we will definitely have better results than if he’s not there.”
Ronaldo, now 49, knows the weight of such a role, having scored 62 goals in 99 appearances and lifting two World Cups with Brazil (1994 and 2002).
Neymar’s career in recent years has been hampered by injuries. He notably missed Brazil’s 2019 Copa America triumph and endured a lengthy layoff after rupturing his cruciate ligament against Uruguay in late 2023.
Ancelotti, who took over the Selecão in mid-2025, left Neymar out of the squad for September World Cup qualifiers, stressing that the forward “needs to get in better shape to help the national team and to give the best of himself at the World Cup.”
With the World Cup less than a year away, debate is intensifying over whether Neymar should be included in Ancelotti’s plans as Brazil look to end their 23-year wait for a sixth title.
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