With Brazil preparing for the 2026 World Cup and aiming for a sixth title, the final squad will be announced on May 18, but uncertainty remains over Neymar, who has not featured for the national team since 2023 due to injury. Addressing that situation, senior midfielder Casemiro (Carlos Henrique Casimiro), who has made eight FIFA World Cup appearances across two tournaments and currently plays for Manchester United, addressed the situation, suggesting Neymar could be included without starting regularly if fitness remains an issue.
Neymar’s fitness, absence and possible role
Neymar’s availability has been limited for both club and country over the past two years, with recurring fitness issues preventing any sustained run of matches, and that absence has shaped how Brazil are approaching his potential return under Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti, who arrived in 2025 after leaving Real Madrid, by which point Neymar was already out of the national team picture. He was appointed to lead Brazil into the 2026 World Cup, becoming the country’s first foreign manager in over six decades. Any inclusion in the squad would come after a long absence rather than any recent involvement, influencing both expectations and selection decisions. Casemiro described a role where Neymar could be used in shorter periods rather than across full matches if required, making it clear that the discussion is not about status but about how he can contribute within the limits set by his physical condition. “In my opinion, Neymar never had that kind of problem. He even has the age and experience to be one of the captains of the national team,” Casemiro. told ESPN in an exclusive interview. “And he never cared about that in the national team. He always said: ‘give the ball to me, let’s have fun and play football. And, man, that’s me. I want to have fun on the field, I want to enjoy myself on the field.’ And Neymar has always demonstrated that.”
Casemiro and Neymar have played together for Brazil since their youth, sharing over a decade at senior level and featuring in major tournaments including the 2018 and 2022 World Cups/ Instagram
He continued: “Neymar never had that role of wanting to be tough. Neymar has always been a guy who wanted to have fun on the field. And I think that if you talk to him, in my opinion, about his desire to play in a World Cup, and you propose, if Ancelotti proposes (a bench role) to him, I think he will want to go to the national team, because he wants to (play in the World Cup). Then he gets there and he shows it on the field and shows it in training.“
Ancelotti’s decision and how it will be handled
The decision on Neymar’s inclusion sits with Ancelotti, who is managing a squad that includes both established players and those returning from injury, and Casemiro pointed to the need for a direct conversation about expectations rather than assumptions about role or status. “I think you’d have to have a conversation (with Neymar) and you’d come and talk: look, you’re not going to play as many games, but look, in a certain game, you’re going to be crucial for those 20 minutes, 30 minutes. Or you’re going to play that game. I think it’s just a conversation,” he said. “So, I repeat, it’s not what Ancelotti will think. So I think that bombshell is Ancelotti’s, and there’s no better coach in the world, with more experience in the world, to handle a situation like that. So, I’m sure that the decision he makes will always be in the best interest of the group.”
FILE – Brazil’s coach Carlo Ancelotti gestures during a training session ahead of a friendly soccer match against South Korea in Goyang, South Korea, Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man, File)
Also read: Neymar excluded from official World Cup sticker album, is this the end of his World Cup journey?Ancelotti has not ruled Neymar out of the squad, but his inclusion depends on whether the coaching staff judge that he can reach a level of fitness close enough to his previous condition to contribute during the tournament. Neymar is currently back at Santos FC in Brazil, having rejoined his boyhood club in January 2025 after leaving Al Hilal earlier that month when his contract was mutually terminated, originally set to run until the summer of 2025, following an injury-hit spell in which he made only seven appearances.
Santos’ Neymar reacts during a Brazilian soccer league match against Remo in Santos, Brazil, Thursday, April 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)
He later extended his stay with Santos in January 2026 on a deal running until December 31, 2026. The 34-year-old is now focused on regaining fitness for what he has described as a potential “final dance” at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
“He doesn’t have to prove anything.”
Casemiro also addressed the repeated questions around Neymar’s place in the squad, describing the discussion as constant but unchanged in substance, and linking the decision again to fitness rather than ability or reputation. “It’s annoying because everyone talks about (Neymar in the World Cup), everyone asks, and everyone answers. Especially me. I’m honestly a friend of Neymar’s, I’ve known him since he was 12. But in my opinion it’s very clear: Neymar doesn’t have to prove anything to anyone,” he said. He added: “It all depends on whether he can get as close as possible to his best physical condition. Because in terms of talent, there is no need to discuss what a great player he is.” Brazil are preparing for a tournament where they are aiming to win a sixth World Cup title, and Neymar’s situation remains one of the final decisions to be made, with his role, if selected, likely to reflect both his recent absence and the condition he is able to reach before the squad is finalized.
