"What about me, Ancelotti?" Neymar's reaction after being left out of Brazil's new era squad, emphasizing his sadness but determination to move forward (watch video).
On 19 Mar 2026 GMT+7, Neymar Jr., Brazil's number one superstar, shared his feelings after being excluded from the latest national team squad under coach Carlo Ancelotti. He posted a video of himself resting and carefully checking the roster on his phone.
When the forwards were announced one by one—from Endrick, Vinícius, to several new players—Neymar jokingly said, "Oh Ancelotti! What about me?!" He then candidly admitted feeling sad about not being called up but affirmed his readiness to work hard to be in top condition for future opportunities.
“The forwards are Endrick, Gabriel Martinelli, Igor Thiago, Luis Enrique, Matheus Cunha, Raphinha, Ryan, Vinícius Jr... Thank you,” Neymar exclaimed in surprise and with a mix of humor and frustration after the announcement. “Oh Ancelotti! What about me?!”
Neymar openly acknowledged his disappointment: “The national team list was just announced. We were not called up. Of course, I feel sad, but as I said yesterday, whether I’m there or not, I will always support the national team, right?”
“And everything is okay now. I have to keep working, improving myself in every way so that if an opportunity comes, I will be ready.”
“Ah... Do I feel hurt? Yes, I’m sad, but as I said, I’m sad now, but to me, it’s like a page that’s already been turned, right?”
“Tomorrow, I have to stop being sad. I need to work, train, and play so that if the chance to go to the World Cup appears, I’ll be in the best possible shape.”
Neymar and Al Hilal mutually agreed to terminate their contract early in early 2025 after he suffered injuries over 18 months in Saudi Arabia, playing only seven matches.
Neymar decided to return to play in his home league with Santos, the club that developed him, signing a contract until the end of 2026.
This omission poses a major challenge for 34-year-old Neymar, who must quickly regain fitness and prove he is still capable of leading Brazil at the upcoming 2026 World Cup.