'Not a World Cup squad': Shocking best 11 made up of Brazil's eliminated players... 5 EPL stars also left out

*This content was translated by AI.

This is not the final World Cup squad. Even gathering only the players left out of the Brazil national team creates another super-luxury best 11.

On the 20th (Korean time), the UK's The Sun introduced a best 11 composed of players excluded from Brazil's final World Cup squad. The media stated, "There were many notable players left out of the squad, including five stars from the English Premier League (EPL)," and added, "While some were excluded due to injury, other players simply were not selected by Brazil national team head coach Carlo Ancelotti."

It further noted, "However, their reputations are immense. A separate World Cup team could easily be formed with just the eliminated players."

The formation was 4-2-3-1. At the forefront was João Pedro (Chelsea), recognized as one of the top strikers in the EPL. Last summer, Pedro transferred from Brighton (England) to Chelsea for a huge fee (approximately 100 billion won) and has been playing as a key player for the team. This season, he has scored 23 goals in all competitions, all from open play. Particularly, Chelsea is struggling this season, sitting 8th in the league with 52 points, yet Pedro has been fighting alone. Moreover, Pedro has consistently been selected for the Brazil national team recently, raising high expectations for his World Cup participation.

However, when announcing the final 2026 FIFA North American World Cup squad on the 19th, coach Ancelotti called up 'legend' Neymar (Santos) instead of Pedro. According to local reports, Ancelotti prepared two separate squads: one including Pedro and another featuring Neymar. This indicates deep deliberation, but Ancelotti's final choice ultimately went to Neymar.

Also left out of the final squad were Héctor Herrera (Tottenham), who played alongside Son Heung-min (LAFC), as well as top prospects Estêvão (Chelsea) and Rodrygo (Real Madrid). Estêvão and Rodrygo were hampered by injuries. Estêvão ended his season early last month due to a hamstring injury, while Rodrygo suffered a heartbreaking anterior cruciate ligament tear in March.

Joelinton, the key midfielder for Newcastle United in England, and midfielder Ederson (Atalanta), whose transfer to a big club has been rumored, were also sadly listed among the eliminated players. In the defensive line, Alex Telles (Botafogo), Thiago Silva (FC Porto), Éder Militão (Real Madrid), and Vanderson (AS Monaco) were excluded from the final squad.

The media reported, "Former Brazil captain Silva has performed brilliantly at Chelsea despite being in his late 30s and contributed to Porto winning the league title at age 41, defying the passage of time." It added, "Although Silva was included in the preliminary squad, he did not get a chance at the North American World Cup. It appears this was effectively his final match for the Brazil national team."

Another victim of misfortune was Lucas Perri, the 'starting goalkeeper' of Leeds United (England). The Sun explained that coach Ancelotti chose Alisson Becker (Liverpool) and Ederson, who played for Manchester City (England), for the goalkeeper position. Perri has never played for the Brazil national team. Weverton (Grêmio) was called up as the third goalkeeper option. Therefore, Perri was unable to get a chance for his national team debut.

Meanwhile, Brazil, which holds the record for the most World Cup titles with five wins, is also considered a strong favorite for this tournament. In the North American World Cup, they were drawn into Group C alongside Morocco, Haiti, and Scotland.

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*This content was translated by AI.