"Neymar, I won't change him even if he's injured" — Ancelotti's unshakable trust 'from 0th in line for elimination to a stunning reversal'... Is it a gamble or a divine move?

*This content was translated by AI.

Carlo Ancelotti (67), head coach of the Brazil national football team, has decided to take star striker Neymar (34, Santos) to the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America despite a calf injury.

According to foreign media including AP and ESPN on the 31st (Korean time), Coach Ancelotti stated at a press conference held ahead of the friendly match against Panama, "There will be no changes to the squad. All 26 players selected this time will play in the World Cup as they are."

Shortly after being called up to the Brazil national team, Neymar received a diagnosis of a grade 2 calf muscle tear during a detailed examination. The team's chief physician explained that recovery would take two to three weeks. As a result, Neymar will miss the pre-World Cup friendlies against Panama and Egypt. His participation in the Group C opener against Morocco on the 14th in Newark, New Jersey, remains uncertain.

However, Coach Ancelotti expressed strong confidence. When asked if he had selected Neymar knowing the extent of the injury in advance, he responded with a Western-style joke, "If my grandfather had wheels on his legs, he would have been a car," drawing a line against speculating about things that have not yet happened. He then emphasized, "Even if Neymar cannot play in the first match, he can still play in the second match."

Coach Ancelotti unexpectedly included Neymar in the final 2026 World Cup squad on the 19th. With this selection, Neymar returns to the national team for the first time in two years and seven months since suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee in October 2023, securing his place in the World Cup finals for the fourth consecutive time.

Initially, given his injury history, his considerable age, and Brazil's deep pool of strikers, his exclusion from the World Cup roster was considered a foregone conclusion. However, Coach Ancelotti explained the reasoning behind his selection, stating, "After observing him throughout the year, we confirmed that he has been maintaining consistent match fitness and condition."

Neymar, Brazil's all-time leading scorer with 79 goals, suffered a major injury in October 2023 when he tore his anterior cruciate ligament in his knee, but he has now answered Ancelotti's call to step onto the World Cup stage for the fourth time in his career.

Meanwhile, Brazil, the most successful nation in World Cup history with five titles, will compete in Group C alongside Morocco, Haiti, and Scotland in this tournament.

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*This content was translated by AI.