carlo ancelotti has named an attack-heavy Brazil squad for his first World Cup cycle, and Neymar is in it. The move arrives after a period of instability that saw Brazil cycle through four coaches and 84 different players make at least one appearance since 2023.
Brazil's Forward Lean
Ancelotti arrived as Brazil manager in June 2025 and has leaned into a system with two midfielders and four forwards. He has had only four competitive matches in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying, and two of them were dead rubbers after Brazil had already clinched qualification.
That limited sample has pushed the squad toward attack-first choices. Vinícius Júnior, Raphinha, Matheus Cunha, Rodrygo and Estêvão sit at the center of the plan, while Igor Thiago is the only obvious centre-forward option named and is not expected to start.
Neymar Joins The Mix
Neymar’s surprise inclusion gives Ancelotti another established name in a group already built around goals and chances. Vinícius has 17 goal contributions in 48 matches for Brazil and 183 goal involvements in 257 matches across the last five seasons for Real Madrid, while Raphinha has 18 goal contributions in 38 Brazil matches and 127 goal involvements in 177 matches for Barcelona.
The numbers under Ancelotti point to how the squad has been shaped. Vinícius has spent 57% of his minutes for Brazil under him as a striker, and Raphinha has played 43% of his minutes as a central attacking midfielder. Cunha has created 11 chances for Brazil under Ancelotti, Vinícius 18, Bruno Guimarães 15 and Casemiro 14.
Brazil's Selection Pressure
Casemiro, Bruno and Vinícius have also been the manager’s most frequent starters, with 10, 9 and 9 starts respectively. Rodrygo remains Brazil’s top scorer since 2023 with 8 goals, while Estêvão leads the Ancelotti era with 5.
Brazil’s attacking pool has already produced younger scoring options as well. Rayan scored against Panama at the Maracanã in his second appearance, and Endrick scored in his third match.
For a squad still trying to settle after a run of coaching turnover, the decision to keep Neymar in the frame says Ancelotti is choosing firepower over caution. Brazil will carry reputation, numbers and star names into the cycle; the open issue is whether this forward-heavy group can become a settled World Cup team quickly enough.
