Brazilian President Lula da Silva confirmed that Carlo Ancelotti, the Brazilian national team coach, consulted with him about the possibility of including Neymar in the Seleção’s squad for the 2026 World Cup.
Ancelotti has not called up Neymar to the Brazilian national team since taking over in May, although he gave the player renewed hope of wearing the Samba jersey at the World Cup when he urged him to maintain his current form to secure his place in the squad to be announced at the end of May.
In a surprising revelation, President Lula confirmed that Ancelotti contacted him to gauge the public and political desire for Neymar’s return to the national team.
Lula said, “I had the opportunity to speak with Ancelotti, and he asked me: ‘Do you think Neymar should be called up?’ I replied: ‘Look, Ancelotti, if he’s physically fit, he undoubtedly possesses the footballing talent.'”
He added, “What I need to know is whether he himself truly wants it.” If he wants to play, he needs to be a professional; he can follow the example of players like Cristiano Ronaldo or Messi and join the national team because he’s not too old yet.
He added, “But he can’t expect to be called up just because of his name; he has to earn his place on the field.”
It seems Ancelotti has taken Lula da Silva’s advice to heart, insisting that performance, and nothing else, is the key to Neymar’s place in the national team, not his status as one of the greatest players in Brazilian history.
