Monaco fullback Vanderson likely to be called up by Carlo Ancelotti for Brazil friendlies in Asia: Reports

Vanderson has made over 100 appearances for eight-time French champions Monaco.

The five-time world champions and the most successful team in the history of the FIFA World Cup, Brazil are set to kickstart their new major four-year cycle with a tour across Asia.

The upcoming September-October FIFA International window will see the South American giants in action for the first time ever since bowing out of the FIFA World Cup 2026 with a 2-1 defeat to Erling Haaland’s Norway in the Round of 16.

Carlo Ancelotti’s men will play two friendlies against the 2015 AFC Asian Cup champions, Australia, who consistently feature in the FIFA World Cup. After two friendlies in Australia, the Brazilian team will head to India for the first time to lock horns with the Blue Tigers in the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata.

The Brazilian team are in a generational transition, and the South American giants are shifting entirely to a new, younger generation. The Brazil national team are set to announce their final squad for the upcoming Asia tour on September 9th at around 11:30 PM IST.

Ahead of three big games in Asia, there are reports that Monaco’s fullback Vanderson, who has been pretty impressive in the French top-flight, will be included in Brazil’s preliminary list and will most likely be selected in the final squad.

Brazil’s right-back dilemma dates back to more than a decade

Gone are those days when Brazilian fullbacks like Roberto Carlos and Cafu single-handedly changed the fate of the game.

If we take a closer look at Brazil’s right backs since the 2014 FIFA World Cup, we find out that finding a proper right back has been a major concern for the Brazil national team.

From 2014 to 2018, despite injury concerns, Dani Alves was Brazil’s most creative outlet on the right flank. After Tite took over, Danilo became a regular starter, and he was often criticised for his lack of attacking flair on the flanks.

Even in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Danilo started the majority of games for the South American giants after players like Emerson Royal, Roger Ibanez and Yan Couto failed to make any difference.

Can Vanderson solve Brazil’s persistent right-back problem?

Vanderson is widely viewed as the most logical and natural solution to Brazil’s decade-long right-back crisis. The 25-year-old Mato Grosso-born fullback is structurally disciplined, and his raw speed and overlapping instincts to stretch low defensive blocks make him an attacking threat from the right flank.

Playing right-back for Brazil is arguably one of the highest-pressure jobs in football and previously many talented fullbacks have crumbled under pressure.

However, Vanderson, who made a switch from Gremio to Monaco back in 2022, has established himself as a regular starter for the French giants.

At such a young age, he locks horns with elite wingers from France and Europe in Ligue 1 and the UEFA Champions League week in and week out.

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