Brazilian football legend Ronaldo has called on Italy’s Carlo Ancelotti to reinstate Neymar in the Selecao squad ahead of next year’s World Cup in North America.
Ronaldo, Brazil’s former star striker and two-time World Cup winner, highlighted Neymar’s importance to the national team, stressing that “we don’t have another player like Neymar.”
The 33-year-old forward has been absent from the yellow jersey since October 2023, when a serious knee injury sidelined him. Since returning to his first club, Santos, in January following a brief and challenging spell with Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal, Neymar has been playing regularly—but has yet to earn a call-up under Ancelotti, who has overseen four matches as Brazil coach.
“The people hope 100 percent that he will go to the World Cup because if he is there, we will definitely have better results than if he’s not there,” Ronaldo added at a publicity event in Sao Paulo.
Neymar’s recent career has been disrupted by injuries, including missing Brazil’s 2019 Copa America triumph. After joining Al Hilal from Paris Saint-Germain in August 2023, he played just five games, scoring once, before rupturing his cruciate knee ligament on international duty against Uruguay. He spent a year out of action and only appeared in two more matches for the Saudi side before moving back to Santos.
Ancelotti, speaking after leaving Neymar out of the squad for September’s World Cup qualifiers, said the forward “needs to get in better shape to help the national team and to give the best of himself at the World Cup.”
With the World Cup approaching, Ronaldo’s call adds pressure on Ancelotti to consider one of Brazil’s most influential players for the tournament.
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