Vinicius must be fully fit for Brazil’s 2026 World Cup selection: Ancelotti

Brazilian coach Carlo Ancelotti said Vinicius Jr. must be fully fit to be part of the 2026 FIFA World Cup squad, and reiterated its policy of only picking players who are 100 percent match-ready.

In October, Ancelotti had sent a similar warning to Neymar, saying the Santos forward would need to be fully fit to earn a recall to the squad.

In an interview with the Brazilian sports program Sports recordthe Italian said he expects the same standards for every player in his team.

“There are many high-quality players and I have to choose those who perform 100 percent,” Ancelotti said.

«It’s not just about Neymar; it could be Vinicius. If Vinicius is at 90 percent, I will call up another player who is at 100 percent, because this is a team with very high competitiveness, especially in attack, where we have many excellent players.»

Vinicius Jr scored the only goal as Brazil beat Paraguay 1-0 in June this year to secure his place in the 2026 World Cup, which takes place in North America from June 11 to July 19.

Brazil will meet France in a warm-up match in Boston during the international window between March 23 and 31.

Published on December 2, 2025