Brazilian President: Ancelotti Consulted Me on Neymar Call-Up, I Advised Performance Over Name

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva revealed that he was consulted by "Seleção" coach Carlo Ancelotti regarding the status of player Neymar da Silva within the Brazilian national team. This discussion between the two parties concerned Neymar's potential participation in the upcoming World Cup.

These statements were made during a televised interview broadcast by the Brazilian network Sky Sport, where Lula disclosed details of his conversation with Ancelotti about the player's future and his potential inclusion in the final squad.

The Brazilian President stated: "I spoke with Ancelotti, and he asked me: Do you think Neymar should be called up?" Lula added that he replied: "If he is physically ready, he possesses the footballing talent, but his call-up must be based on performance, not name."

Lula further explained that if Neymar is in good physical condition and performing at a high level, he possesses the technical qualifications to play for the national team. However, the decision must be based on readiness and commitment on the field.

He also added that the player is required to demonstrate complete professionalism and focus on performance, suggesting that he can draw inspiration from players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in terms of discipline and consistency if he wishes to return to the national team ranks.

For his part, Neymar was not included in Brazil's latest squad, which is part of the preparations before the announcement of the final 26-player World Cup squad, scheduled to be released in May.

The coaching staff, led by Ancelotti, emphasizes that the selection criteria primarily depend on physical readiness, the number of matches played, and the level of performance in the recent period before the final decision.

It is worth noting that the Brazilian national team is in Group C of the 2026 World Cup, alongside Morocco, Scotland, and Haiti.