Kylian Mbappe has spoken about Neymar and his chances of playing at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Real Madrid forward said he wants to see Neymar at the tournament. At the same time, he said Carlo Ancelotti’s decision must be respected.
Neymar was not named in Brazil’s squad for the upcoming friendlies. Brazil will face France in Boston on March 26. They will then play Croatia in Orlando five days later. Head coach Carlo Ancelotti left Neymar out of the list.
The Brazilian forward is still working his way back to full fitness. He suffered an ACL injury while on national duty in October. Reports say he has not fully recovered yet.
Mbappe shared his view but kept his tone respectful. He made it clear he values Neymar highly but will not question his former coach.
“Neymar is Neymar. He’s an incredible player. The World Cup is the competition of stars. For me, Neymar is one of the best stars. I don’t see a World Cup without Neymar, but I can’t go against my ex-coach Ancelotti. You have to respect his decision.”
Ancelotti also explained why Neymar is not in the squad right now. He said fitness is the key reason.
“Neymar can be at the World Cup too. If he can reach the next World Cup at 100 percent, he can be at the World Cup. Why is he not on this list now? Because he is not 100%. We need players at 100% right now”
He also kept the door open for the final squad.
“But as I said, for the final list, the conversation is different. Neymar has to keep working and playing, showing his qualities in a good physical condition.”
Neymar has not played for Brazil for more than two years. His last match came in October 2023. That was a 2-0 loss to Uruguay in World Cup qualifying.
