Exclusive-Neymar World Cup call based on fitness and form, not sentiment, Ancelotti tells Reuters

RIO DE JANEIRO, May 12 : Carlo Ancelotti will walk into Monday's Brazil squad announcement with a nation peering over his shoulder and one burning question hanging in the Rio de Janeiro air: Neymar or no Neymar?

The 34-year-old forward is Brazil's all-time leading scorer, but his place at the 2026 World Cup, which kicks off next month, hangs in the balance after years of injury trouble and an underwhelming return to Santos.

That leaves Ancelotti weighing romance against the cold, practical demands of fitness as he lays out his high-intensity blueprint for the record five-times champions.

"When you have to choose, you have to consider many things," Ancelotti told Reuters in an exclusive interview on Tuesday.

"Neymar is an important player for this country because of the talent he has always shown. But he has had problems and is working hard to recover. He has improved a lot recently and is playing regularly. It is, obviously, not such an easy decision for me. We have to weigh up the pros and cons carefully."

Ancelotti hosted Reuters at the Brazilian Football Confederation's headquarters in Rio, overlooking Barra da Tijuca, and spoke about the delicate selection call with the calm that has defined one of football’s most decorated managerial careers.

The Italian is the only coach to have won league titles in all of Europe's big five leagues and has lifted a record five Champions League trophies as a manager, in addition to two as a player.

'MUCH LOVED'

Yet few selection decisions will be picked apart quite like this one. Teammates have publicly lobbied for Neymar's inclusion, while supporters remain split between affection and anxiety over whether his body can still keep pace with his imagination.

"I know full well that Neymar is