Neymar’s chance of going to the 2026 World Cup lives on, but it may have come at the expense of teenage talent Estêvão, whose dream is cruelly over.
Neymar hasn’t played for the national team in almost three years, since rupturing the ACL and meniscus in his left knee during a World Cup qualifier against Uruguay in October 2023.
His career has never really recovered, released by Al Hilal in early 2025 and rejoining Santos, where fitness problems have continued to limit his availability.
Neymar had been hoping to get a Brazil recall in time for the World Cup, but things looked bleak on that front when Carlo Ancelotti left the 34-year-old out of his last selection in March. It was the latest snub from the manager, who has repeatedly said only players “physically ready” will get picked.
Still, the Italian said in April that Neymar was “on the right track” and not totally ruled out. “He needs to continue in this direction and improve his fitness.”
Fast forward to May and FIFA’s deadline for preliminary squad lists, his chance still survives.
ESPN writes that Neymar has been named in Ancelotti’s selection. These provisional rosters number between 35 and 55 players and do not need to be made public, but final 26-player squads come from the preliminary options and the deadline for submission was May 11.
Neymar still has work to do because up to 29 players named in the preliminary squad will miss out. He was absent for Santos’ last Brasileirão match in April and first in May, but has since scored in successive appearances. When healthy, he usually performs. It’s just a question of availability.
Brazil Snub Caught Estêvão Unaware
It appears there was definitely a place going for Neymar because of the decision made to exclude Chelsea winger Estêvão, on the basis that the 19-year-old won’t recover from injury in time. He was reduced to tears when a hamstring issue flared up during Chelsea’s defeat to Manchester United on April 18.
Whether Neymar’s provisional selection was directly tied to Estêvão’s omission is not clear, but it still might have made it easier for Ancelotti knowing that a player otherwise expected to challenge for a starting place at the tournament is not available.
The ESPN report notes that Estêvão was unaware of his vulnerable position and was “visibly dejected” when he found out earlier this month. But he isn’t the only Brazil player missing out because of injury, with Real Madrid pair Rodrygo and Éder Militão also sidelined—their omissions haven’t come as a surprise, however, due to the longer-term nature of the respective problems.
‘Brazil Don’t Have Another Neymar’
Every country competing at the 2026 World Cup must submit a final squad to FIFA by June 1. Even then, Neymar might not be out of the tournament if he is not on that Brazil list, because players can still be replaced in the event of injury or illness up to 24 hours before the team’s opening match. In Brazil’s case, that would be the day before facing Morocco on June 13.
Casemiro, who has played alongside Neymar for the Seleção since 2011, believes the most expensive player in history should be selected—but with a caveat.
“My decision [would be] yes,” Casemiro explained as a guest on Rio Ferdinand Presents.
“But, Ney, you don’t play every game. If he plays every game, it’s not perfect for him. I think he comes, and if a game is close, 0–0 ... a special assist, a special goal, [he can] change the game [from the bench]. We don’t have this [type of] player in this moment.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Neymar’s Gain Is Estevao’s Loss in Significant World Cup Step for Brazil.
