Ancelotti ignores Neymar chants after Brazil lose to France

Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti played down fans’ chants for Neymar, who was not selected for the squad, after the side’s 2-1 defeat to France in a warm-up match in Boston on Thursday, saying the focus must remain on the players involved.

Neymar was left out after the 34-year-old missed a recent Santos FC match due to muscle fatigue – a match Ancelotti planned to watch in person as part of his assessment before announcing the squad SEef4c.

«Right now we have to talk about those who are here, who played, who gave everything, who showed character, who worked very hard. And I am satisfied,» Ancelotti told reporters.

«I think Raphinha played very well. He had some muscle pain at the end of the first half and we had to replace him, but he had a lot of chances and very good freedom of movement off the ball.»

READ: Alexander-Arnold must accept England’s ‘unfair’ criticism, says Tuchel

«And Vini (Vinicius Jr.) always tries; he always makes the difference. A striker cannot always score, but the work of both was good.»

Neymar, Brazil’s all-time top scorer with 79 goals, has not played for the national team since suffering a serious knee injury in October 2023 and has struggled to maintain a consistent run of games since returning to Santos last year.

Ancelotti has repeatedly said the forward will be eligible when he is fully fit. Despite the defeat and Neymar’s absence, the Italian said the performance strengthened his belief in the side’s potential.

«I think today’s match makes it very clear to me that we can compete with the best teams in the world. I have no doubt about that,» Ancelotti said.

Brazil will play Croatia in Orlando on March 31, ahead of the World Cup from June 11 to July 19 in North America.

Published on March 27, 2026