`He must prepare well…`: Ancelotti`s message for Neymar ahead of 2026 WC

The new Brazil coach, Carlo Ancelotti, feels Neymar is a very important player and has urged the veteran to start preparing well for the 2026 World Cup.

“He must prepare well, and he has the time to do that. He`s a very important player for us regarding the World Cup,” the Italian said in an interview with the South American football federation

The 33-year-old Neymar extended his contract with Santos, a Brazilian side, to the end of the year this week. He has been struggling with injuries and has only played 12 matches in five months for Santos, in which he managed to score three goals.

At the end of May, Brazil`s top goal scorer (79) was missing from Ancelotti`s first squad. Despite his absence, Brazil qualified for next year`s World Cup with a 1-0 victory over Paraguay this month.

Earlier, he was diagnosed with a new leg muscle injury, the club confirmed, marking yet another setback in his ongoing battle to regain full fitness. He was forced off the pitch in the 34th minute during Santos’ 2-0 win over Atletico Mineiro.

Subsequent medical examinations revealed damage to the semimembranosus muscle, one of the key hamstring muscles, Xinhua reported.

In an official statement released on the club’s website, Santos clarified that the current injury is not a recurrence of a previous issue. “The number 10 has already started treatment and…will continue muscle strengthening work,” the statement read, though no specific timeline for recovery was provided.

Since returning from a torn anterior cruciate ligament last October, which kept him out for nearly a year, Neymar has faced a series of soft-tissue injuries. A brief return to form earlier this year earned the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain star a call-up to Brazil’s national team for World Cup qualifiers in March. However, he was subsequently withdrawn due to another muscle-related issue.

The 33-year-old has not featured for Brazil since October 2023, when a knee injury sidelined him. In his absence, teenage sensation Endrick of Real Madrid was called up to replace him.

(With Agencies Inputs)

This article first appeared on Mid Day