World Cup News

Santos will face Palmeiras this Saturday in the Brazilian Serie A, and Neymar will not be part of the squad. Neymar is focused on reaching peak physical and competitive form to earn a spot on the Brazil squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. However, this Saturday he will not be part of the Santos team that will face Palmeiras in Serie A. The news was confirmed after Santos shared on their official social media accounts the list of 24 players selected by head coach Cuca for the derby. Ney is absent, which means he will not even be among the substitutes. “The number 10 will not be on the field due to the sequence of games and the plan that already foresees his absence in some of them, and also taking into account the synthetic turf at Palmeiras’ stadium,” O Globo reported, in a story that was also picked up by other major outlets such as TyC Sports and DirecTV Sports. The decision for Neymar not to play carries major significance, considering his importance to the team and what is at stake. Santos are in a delicate situation in Serie A, currently in the relegation zone with just 14 points from 13 matches. Palmeiras, in addition to being their historic rivals, are the current leaders of the standings with a clear advantage over Flamengo. Os relacionados para o clássico de amanhã! 📋⚪⚫ pic.twitter.com/CdJ75VEHoj — Santos FC (@SantosFC) May 1, 2026 Neymar prioritizes his physical health In recent weeks, Neymar achieved something he had not managed in years: he played the full 90 minutes in five consecutive matches, without showing signs of fatigue or injury. To reach those numbers, however, careful planning with the Santos staff was required to help him manage his workload. That is why the forward was not part of the squad last weekend, when Santos drew 2-2 against Bahia in Serie A. The same will happen this Saturday against Palmeiras, with the goal of prioritizing Tuesday’s Copa Sudamericana match against Recoleta FC in Paraguay. These decisions, aimed at taking steady steps toward Neymar’s full physical condition, may not be ideal in his attempt to impress Carlo Ancelotti. The Italian coach has made it clear that his plan is to call up Ney for the World Cup only if he is capable of competing at the highest level. Therefore, missing two matches in one week to avoid risking his fitness is not an encouraging sign, considering that the demands at North America 2026 will be extremely high. Neymar and the synthetic turf In addition to the congested schedule, another reported reason for Neymar’s absence this Saturday against Palmeiras is the surface at Allianz Parque. On more than one occasion, the 34-year-old forward has expressed his disagreement with the presence of stadiums with synthetic turf, believing they are dangerous for players’ physical health. “Playing at Allianz is practically impossible for me. Playing on synthetic turf is one of the things that bothers me the most as a player, regardless of my injuries,” Neymar said in August 2025. “The direction Brazilian soccer is taking is concerning. It’s absurd that we have to talk about synthetic turf on our fields.”

Neymar spoke about his desire to return to the Brazil national team for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and mentioned Lionel Messi. With 44 days to go until the start of the FIFA World Cup, Neymar is still dreaming of being there. The forward sent a clear message about his desire to return to the Brazil national team to compete at North America 2026, also bringing Lionel Messi into the conversation. “Ney, are you thinking about the World Cup?” a reporter asked the forward during the post-match press conference following Santos’ 1-1 draw against San Lorenzo in Buenos Aires on Tuesday. “Of course. Every Brazilian player thinks about that. I hope I can be there,” Neymar replied. Moments later, another journalist asked whether a potential reunion with Lionel Messi was also part of his plans. “Yes, of course,” Ney answered, going a step further by linking that possibility to a potential meeting at the World Cup: “Also, a final between Brazil and Argentina would be spectacular.” For now, the Santos forward knows that to achieve his goal of returning to the Brazil national team, he must first deliver convincing performances at club level to catch coach Carlo Ancelotti’s attention. Neymar and Messi together during a World Cup qualifier between Brazil and Argentina in 2016. In that regard, the past few weeks have been positive. Neymar played the full 90 minutes against San Lorenzo in the Copa Sudamericana and has now done so in five consecutive matches across all competitions. He only missed last Saturday’s clash against Bahia in the Brazilian Serie A, but that was not due to physical issues—it was a decision by coach Cuca to prioritize this week’s match in Buenos Aires. An Argentina-Brazil World Cup final would be unprecedented Despite being two of the strongest national teams in the world, with eight titles between them, Argentina and Brazil have never met in a World Cup final. In fact, they have not faced each other at any stage of the tournament in 36 years. The last time the two South American giants met at a World Cup was in the Round of 16 at Italy 1990, when Argentina defeated Brazil 1-0 thanks to a second-half goal from Claudio Caniggia. That result helped them advance all the way to the final, where they lost 1-0 to West Germany. Overall, Argentina and Brazil have faced each other four times in the FIFA tournament. Two of those matches were Brazilian victories (2-1 in 1974 and 3-1 in 1982), along with a 0-0 draw in 1978 and Argentina’s win in 1990. Messi vs Neymar at international level The friendship between Lionel Messi and Neymar, forged during their years together at Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, has not prevented them from facing off multiple times at international level. Messi holds the edge, with three wins and two losses. The most significant meeting between the two came in the 2021 Copa America final, when Argentina defeated Brazil 1-0 thanks to a goal from Angel Di Maria, ending a 28-year trophy drought. Messi also recorded wins in 2010 and 2012, while Neymar came out on top in a 2014 friendly and a 2016 World Cup qualifier.

Santos are set to face San Lorenzo in the Copa Sudamericana, with Neymar at the center of attention. Next week, Santos will play a key Copa Sudamericana clash against Argentina’s San Lorenzo, a match that could prove decisive for the Brazilian side’s future in the tournament. Neymar will be part of that showdown, and his upcoming opponents have spoken about him. “On the field, we’re all rivals, and if we have to, we’re going to go hard at him,” Jhohan Romaña said when asked about facing Ney next Tuesday, in an interview with ESPN. “We’ll prepare over the next few days. Hopefully we can rise to the occasion and come away with the win.” From the Colombian defender’s comments, it’s clear that Neymar could be in for a physically demanding match in the Copa Sudamericana. This type of continental competition is often characterized by tough defensive play and lenient refereeing, which can work against a player of Santos’ star’s profile. “Neymar is an extra factor, but for us the most important thing is getting the three points, which would give us a significant advantage,” said Matias Reali, another San Lorenzo player. “Of course, he’s a global star and you might ask him for a photo, but first we have to win the match.” San Lorenzo defender Jhohan Romaña. Santos prioritize the clash against San Lorenzo While Santos are also competing in the Copa do Brasil and the Brazilian Serie A, their priority right now is the Copa Sudamericana. They have not started well in the competition, with one loss and one draw in their first two matches. That leaves them at the bottom of the group and in serious danger of elimination. Given that context, Tuesday’s match is so important for the club that they decided to rest Neymar in Saturday’s league game against Bahia, which ended in a 2-2 draw. Head coach Cuca chose to go without his best player in a match that was also important, with Santos dangerously close to the relegation zone, in order to ensure he is fully fit for Tuesday. Neymar returns to Argentina At club level, Neymar has played in Argentina only once. It came during his first spell at Santos, when they lost 1-0 to Velez Sarsfield in Buenos Aires in the 2012 Copa Libertadores quarterfinals. In the second leg of that tie, the Brazilian side won by the same scoreline and then advanced on penalties. The other seven times Ney has played in Argentina have been with the Brazil national team. Four came during the 2011 Copa America held in the country, where Brazil were eliminated in the quarterfinals by Paraguay. Two others were friendlies in 2011 and 2012, while the most recent was in 2015, during the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, which ended in a 1-1 draw.

Santos and the Brazilian Football Confederation are reportedly focused on helping Neymar compete at the highest level to earn a spot on Carlo Ancelotti’s roster for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. With less than two months until the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Neymar does not have time to waste if he wants to secure a place on Carlo Ancelotti’s 26-man squad. That is why Santos and the Brazilian Football Confederation are reportedly doing everything possible to help him reach that goal. “Neymar has a plan with Santos to improve both physically and technically before Ancelotti names the 26-man squad, expected on May 18,” Mundo Deportivo reported on Friday. “The idea is to carefully manage Neymar’s minutes from now on and monitor his workload to avoid any risk of injury.” The 34-year-old forward has found a level of consistency on the pitch in recent weeks that he had not achieved in years. He played four consecutive full matches between April 11 and April 22, across the Brazilian Serie A, Copa do Brasil, and Copa Sudamericana, contributing one goal. However, to avoid any setback that could sideline him for an extended period, Neymar will be rested and will not play in Saturday’s match against Bahia, as confirmed by Santos coach Cuca. The plan is to prioritize the Copa Sudamericana clash against San Lorenzo, set for Tuesday in Buenos Aires, where Neymar is expected to be part of the squad. Neymar’s last appearance for Brazil came in October 2023. Neymar has strong support While Santos are focused on delivering results across all competitions, they have also taken on the responsibility of helping Neymar return to the Brazil national team and compete in what would be his fourth World Cup. And they are not alone in that effort. “The star enjoys the admiration of CBF president Samir Xaud, who is a Neymar fan and whose inner circle also supports the idea of the former Barcelona player being at the World Cup,” Mundo Deportivo added. The same applies within the national team: “The locker room is also behind the star, as players like Joao Pedro and Casemiro have publicly expressed.” Brazil’s timeline ahead of the World Cup Although the 2026 World Cup will officially kick off on June 11 with the opening match between Mexico and South Africa, Brazil’s preparation timeline is even tighter. FIFA has set May 11 as the first key deadline, when each national team must submit a preliminary list of between 35 and 55 players. By May 30 at the latest, the final 26-man roster must be announced. However, Brazil appear to be planning to make that final decision earlier. Mundo Deportivo reports that Carlo Ancelotti will confirm the final squad on May 18, leaving Neymar with less than a month to convince the coach that he deserves a place at North America 2026.

Cuca confirmed that Neymar will not be part of Santos’ next match in the Brazilian Serie A. Santos are in a difficult situation in the Brazilian Serie A, not far from the relegation zone. However, for their upcoming match against Bahia, Neymar will not be included in the squad, as confirmed by head coach Cuca. “It’s a different kind of match. There’s no time to rest. Neymar will not play on Saturday so he can be in better condition for Argentina, which is a decisive game for us,” Cuca said during the press conference following Wednesday’s 0-0 draw against Coritiba in the Copa do Brasil. As the coach explained, the decision to leave Neymar out of the squad for Saturday’s match against Bahia is not related to an injury or a tactical call, but rather to prioritize his physical condition ahead of Santos’ biggest current objective. Just three days after facing Bahia in the Brazilian Serie A, they will travel to Buenos Aires to take on San Lorenzo on Matchday 3 of the Copa Sudamericana. There, Santos will be almost forced to get a positive result if they want to keep their chances of advancing to the knockout stages alive. Santos coach Cuca. After losing to Deportivo Cuenca in Ecuador and drawing at home against Recoleta FC of Paraguay, Neymar’s team sit at the bottom of Group D standings. They now face a tough challenge, as they will visit the Argentine side, which currently leads the group with four points. Santos compete on three fronts The urgency to secure a good result in the Copa Sudamericana is Santos’ main priority right now, but it is not the only front they must handle. In the Brazilian league, their situation is far from ideal, as they sit 15th in the standings with just three wins in 12 matches, only one point above the relegation zone. They are also competing in the Copa do Brasil. In that competition, they drew 0-0 at home against Coritiba this Wednesday in the first leg of the fifth round. They still have time to focus on the decisive return leg, which will be played on May 13. Neymar needs playing time to convince Ancelotti Cuca’s decision to rest Neymar in order to prioritize the Copa Sudamericana match against San Lorenzo makes sense from Santos’ perspective, but it may not be ideal for the forward. He needs to play as many matches as possible to prove he is in good physical and competitive form, and thus improve his chances of earning a spot in Carlo Ancelotti’s 26-man squad for Brazil. Considering that competitions in Brazil will pause at the end of May ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Santos have just 11 matches remaining across all competitions. With his absence confirmed for Saturday’s game against Bahia, Neymar will have, at best, 10 more matches to convince Ancelotti before the final squad decision is made.

Despite his strong performances at Chelsea, Estêvão has reportedly suffered a hamstring injury, putting his participation in the 2026 World Cup at risk. As a result, Neymar Jr. could regain hope of representing Brazil after several years away. Amid Chelsea’s disappointing season, Estêvão has emerged as one of the team’s brightest prospects, becoming a regular starter throughout the campaign. In his debut Premier League season, he has already recorded eight goals and four assists. However, the 18-year-old star is reportedly dealing with a hamstring injury that could put his participation in the 2026 World Cup at risk, potentially opening the door for Neymar to return to Brazil’s squad. According to Mario Cortegana, via The Athletic, Estêvão has been diagnosed with a grade four hamstring injury after the match against Brighton & Hove Albion. As a result, he is expected to miss the remainder of the season, putting his participation in the 2026 World Cup with Brazil at risk. However, Eduardo Burgos, a Diario AS journalist specializing in South American soccer, has stated that the 18-year-old star still has a strong chance of making the tournament. Despite his injury, Estêvão is pushing for Chelsea to allow him to undergo conservative treatment under the supervision of the Brazilian Soccer Confederation (CBF). With this approach, he aims to recover in time for the 2026 World Cup. However, the Blues were reportedly planning to proceed with surgery, which would rule him out of the tournament, according to Cahê Mota via GeGlobo. In light of Estêvão’s potential absence, Neymar Jr. could have a major opportunity to secure a spot in Brazil’s squad. While the veteran is no longer a traditional winger, he could allow Raphinha to occupy that role, opening up space for in an attacking midfield position. In addition, Endrick and Igor Thiago could round out the squad, as they are reportedly among the targets of head coach Carlo Ancelotti and would add depth to the attack, either out wide or up front. Neymar Jr of Santos. Neymar Jr. has little time to convince Brazil’s Carlo Ancelotti Following his meniscus surgery in December 2025, Neymar Jr. appears to be gradually regaining his best physical condition at Santos FC. Despite this, he remains under a strict minutes management plan, aiming to control his workload and optimize his performance. Having not been part of Carlo Ancelotti’s process, the veteran has very little time to make a significant impact and earn a place in the final squad. Throughout the 2026 season, Neymar has remained an undisputed starter under head coach Cuca, recording four goals and three assists in the nine matches he has played. Beyond the statistics, the veteran stands out as the team’s creative hub, orchestrating play for his teammates. However, he will need to maintain his level and even improve his goal-scoring output if he wants to make the final squad list on May 18. Unlike Estêvão, Neymar Jr. could boost the team’s overall performance, opening gaps for Vinicius Jr. and Raphinha. Coupled with this, his extensive experience may be really useful as Brazil’s roster is full of young talent, making the 34-year-old a perfect leader. Nonetheless, he would need to accept a secondary role, as Matheus Cunha is the starter under Carlo Ancelotti, something that may not easily change along the 2026 World Cup.