Will Neymar play in the 2026 FIFA World Cup? Brazil’s selection chances are diminishing after Santos’ draw

Neymar’s difficult path to the upcoming World Cup was further narrowed after his lackluster performance for Santos in a 1-1 home draw against rivals Corinthians in a Brazilian league match on Sunday.

It was Neymar’s last match before Brazilian coach Carlo Ancelotti announces his squad for two important friendlies on Monday.

Neymar is Brazil’s all-time top scorer with 79 goals.

Brazil’s matches against France and Croatia in the United States will in turn be the last two matches before Ancelotti announces his final squad in May for the World Cup, which runs from June 11 to July 19.

34-year-old Neymar’s performance against Corinthians came after he missed a match the Brazilian coach was attending.

Memphis Depay opened the scoring for Corinthians in the 19th minute at the Vila Belmiro Stadium on Sunday. Gabriel Barbosa equalized four minutes later.

Neymar’s best chance in Sunday’s match was a second-half header that went narrowly wide. The Santos attacker had difficulty dribbling and did not shoot on target.

Two Brazilian Football Federation staff members attended the match in Santos, the club said.

«I would like to return to the national team and play in the World Cup, but that is not up to me,» a disappointed Neymar told journalists after the match in Santos. “Whether I’m there or not, I will always cheer for Brazil.”

Ancelotti has said he will only take players who are 100 percent fit for the tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada. Lihat juga ssddds4rse. He has also suggested that some players may not need to be tested, leaving Neymar with some hope of making the final squad even if he is not selected for the next two friendlies.

Neymar suffered a cruciate ligament injury in October 2023 and underwent further knee surgery in December. He has made fewer than 10 appearances for Santos this year, but he has also shown glimpses of what he could still bring to Brazil.

In February, he broke into the Santos club’s top 10 all-time scorers after scoring twice in a 2–1 win against Vasco da Gama in the Brazilian league.

Neymar fans fear his decision to miss a match against Mirassol on Tuesday, in another match in the Brazilian league, could have ruled him out of his fourth consecutive World Cup.

According to local media reports, Ancelotti was only informed of the striker’s absence a few hours before the match at the 19,000-seater José Maria de Campos Maia Stadium.

Published on March 16, 2026