Don’t expect anything from Neymar! His inclusion in the World Cup is an act of self-defense for Brazil’s brilliant manager Ancelotti
Carlo Ancelotti has always been a good manager of people.
His record at Real Madrid proved this – two league titles and three Champions League crowns – as well as memorable spells at AC Milan, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich where he also finished as league winner.
Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa will prove his ability to control egos and manipulate them towards a common goal after spectacularly failing to follow in his footsteps at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Ancelotti was equally adept at managing at the top, keeping Madrid president Florentino Perez on hand even when results on the pitch required closer scrutiny.
But has he given up on his massive Machiavellian task of including Neymar in Brazil’s World Cup squad for the 2026 World Cup?
Ancelotti opted to opt for the 34-year-old, despite not pulling any punches with Santos, rather than go with young, tough and in-form Chelsea striker Joao Pedro.
Neymar scored six goals and provided two assists in 2026 for Santos, with Ancelotti saying: “We tested Neymar throughout the year, and we saw that in the last period he played consistently and improved his physical condition.”
Calf stiffness makes Ancelotti’s Neymar claims seem dubious
The fact is that the Brazilian goalscorer who has scored 79 goals in 128 games has appeared to be improving physically, a point that was revealed when he took the reins the night before the selection of the team.
It didn’t matter, Neymar was in. The relief across Brazil was palpable.
The clamor for the former Barcelona and PSG star to go to another World Cup has grown in the week as social media campaigns gather momentum and a number of current and former players urge Ancelotti to stop selecting the player who has not featured for the Selecao since injuring the ACL in his left knee in October 2023.
The pressure was on the Italian player and it seems that he has given up, choosing someone who did not want him but who was in line with the wishes of the Brazilian public.
Neymar is a doubt for Brazil’s opener against Morocco on Saturday night and reportedly had to agree to certain conditions before his inclusion, one of which was to accept that he would not be part of the starting XI.
This is an amazing deal to make a player who will always be part of the club and the country.
So if he’s not going to be anything more than a benchwarmer, why is he leaving? It could be his status as a player that other members of the team look up to – and what Vinicius Jr talked about – adding an element of validation to the team. You may be inspiring other players to do good. You may be the person in the dressing room.
But is that enough to top Pedro, who scored 20 goals for Chelsea last season?
The logical answer is no.
The wise Ancelotti thinks long term
The reason why Neymar was given a place is to keep himself in Ancelotti’s side. The 67-year-old is no fool and will know that this is no old Brazil team and they will do well to get through to the quarter-finals.
The midfield trio of Casemiro, Bruno Guimaraes and Lucas Paqueta will not scare any internationals while the lack of a known striker will hamper their chances.
If he sees that failure is inevitable, is it better for him to get out early in favor of the fans or not? It’s an easy answer. By choosing Neymar, he has already reduced the criticism that could come his way.
And having just signed a four-year contract, Ancelotti is playing the long game.
Don’t expect Neymar to have a noticeable impact on this World Cup, if he does. And don’t think you’ll be part of Brazil going forward.
His calling was nothing short of spectacular, Neymar is simply a cartoon. Once again, Don Carlo has played blind.
