Brazil will be playing France today in the United States in a friendly match to prepare for the 2026 World Cup.
Brazil and France are playing with their top players, with Brazil's Vinicius Junior starting the game and France's Kylian Mbappe starting on the other side.
A top player who will not feature in the Brazil vs France friendly match at Gillette Stadium is Neymar Jr., who is not in the starting lineup nor on the bench.
Brazil will start with Vinicius Junior and Matheus Cunha in the attack, with Raphinha and Gabriel Martinelli on the wings.
Neymar is not injured and has played for Santos FC over the past few games. Neymar last played for Brazil in 2023 during a World Cup qualifier match against Uruguay.
(Photo by Eitan ABRAMOVICH / AFP) (Photo by EITAN ABRAMOVICH/AFP via Getty Images)
Neymar has expressed his desire to play for the Brazilian national team again and wants to play in the 2026 World Cup.
Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti is open to having Neymar as part of the Brazil team for the World Cup, but he decided not to bring him for the friendly against France.
Neymar Not Included in Brazil Squad vs France
For the March friendly matches against France and Croatia, Carlo Ancelotti announced the Brazil squad for these matches, which will be the last opportunity for players to earn a call-up for the World Cup.
Ancelotti called up players who have not received a call-up before, and many were surprised to see that the Italian coach did not name Neymar as part of the squad.
Neymar is not injured and played for Santos FC against Internacional last week in the Brazilian league, where he scored a goal.
Ahead of the match against France, Ancelotti was asked about Neymar, and he said, "I see everything, I hear everything… then I will have to make a decision. People can say their opinion, no problem."
