Neymar reacts cautiously and sparks controversy before announcing Brazil’s final squad

Santos star Neymar da Silva has responded to a question about his possible inclusion in Brazil’s final squad for the 2026 World Cup as the official announcement of the final squad approaches.

Neymar has performed at remarkable levels this season, scoring 6 goals and providing 4 assists in 14 games for Santos, after returning from a European professional experience to place himself on the extended 55-man roster pending a final decision.

Italian Carlo Ancelotti, the coach of the Seleção national team, will announce tomorrow, Monday, the list of 26 players who will participate in the World Cup in the USA, Mexico and Canada this summer.

After Santos’ match against Curitiba in the Brazilian league, Neymar was asked directly. “Do you deserve to join the Brazil team for the 2026 World Cup?”, to which he cautiously replied, saying: “I can’t answer your question.”

He added in the quoted statements Touchline network“Ancelotti is the one who will decide if I deserve it or not. I’ve worked hard for it and if I’m not invited, I’ll be just another Brazil fan at the World Cup.”

Santos v Curitiba saw a controversial incident with Neymar as the hero in a match that ended in a three-goal defeat for Santos. There was an error by the fourth official in the substitution process as Neymar was mistakenly substituted while the arena referee stood by the decision and refused to change it amid the player’s protest and emotional state on the pitch.

Neymar then returned to the pitch in an attempt to rectify the situation, but was shown a yellow card by the referee amid a tense atmosphere that fueled a row between the player and the refereeing team.

The substitution decision was made in the 64th minute in favor of his partner Robson Junior, in an incident that caused much controversy on and off the pitch, particularly with the chaos that accompanied the technical staff as they carried out substitution and treatment procedures on the pitch.

Following his departure, Neymar was keen to clarify the situation in a remarkable way as he uploaded a picture to the cameras confirming that he was not the intended player in the substitution process, in a shot which went viral and was shared by fans on social media.