New faces in Carlo Ancelotti's 26-member Brazil squad vs India
Eight players have been handed debut call-ups to the senior team by Carlo Ancelotti.
Indian football is all set for the September-October international break on cloud nine, as the national team is set to play three high-profile international friendlies at home, including a game against Brazil at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata on October 3.
It would be such a huge opportunity for the players, as all three opponents are placed in the top 50 of the FIFA global rankings, while the Blue Tigers themselves are struggling even against teams that are ranked lower than them.
While the outlook on the game from the Indian head coach and players is that of a very big, once-in-a-lifetime occasion, it’s not the same for the opponents, especially Brazil, who would most likely consider the friendly against India an opportunity to try out new tactics and systems on the pitch, alongside testing new personnel instead of senior, proven stars.
And that’s exactly how Carlo Ancelotti has named his 26-member squad for the upcoming international break. Only nine players from the FIFA World Cup 2026 have retained their spots, with the goalkeeping duo of Alisson and Ederson, alongside the likes of Cunha, Casemiro, Lucas Paquetá and Neymar (retired), absent from the squad.
Out of the 17 new inclusions, many are youngsters who have shown excellent potential at club level, with the average age of the recently announced 26-member squad for the upcoming break coming down to 24.4 years. Eight players have had the most special moment of their careers, as they have been called up to the senior national team for the first time in their careers.
From Nottingham Forest’s Jair Cunha to Santos’ Gabriel Bontempo, let’s take a detailed look at the eight players who will be representing the Selecao for the first time in their careers.
Players who earned debut senior Brazil NT call-ups:
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Pedro Morisco – Coritiba
Pedro Morisco, who has never represented any of the Brazilian youth national teams, has been handed his first senior NT call-up by Carlo Ancelotti. He has been with local Brazilian side Coritiba since the age of nine, earning promotion to the senior team in 2023.
Pedro, who represented his club in Serie B over the past two seasons, played a crucial role last year, with his impressive performances proving integral to Coritiba’s promotion to the top flight. He kept eighteen clean sheets in thirty games during the campaign.
His side are currently placed in the top half of the table, with Pedro starting ten games and conceding thirteen goals without keeping a clean sheet.
Otavio – Cruzeiro
Otavio, the former Brazil U-20 goalkeeper, earns his debut call-up to the senior NT after his recent impressive performances for Cruzeiro during his breakout season this year. He started the season as the second-choice goalkeeper at his club but gradually worked his way into becoming the club’s first choice midway through the season.
In the thirteen games he has featured in this season, his club have lost just three times, conceding more than once on only two occasions during this run. He also played a key role in Cruzeiro’s run to the Copa do Brasil quarter-finals, keeping three clean sheets in six games.
These impressive performances have earned him the trust of Carlo Ancelotti, who has picked him ahead of veterans like Alisson and Ederson.
Arthur Dias – Athletico Paranaense
Arthur Dias, an exciting young centre-back who is often compared with Gabriel Magalhaes, as both defenders have a similar profile and strengths, has earned his maiden call-up to the senior NT after impressive performances over the last 12–18 months, both at club level and with the national youth teams.
Arthur, who plays for Athletico Paranaense in the Brazilian Serie A, is a tall, left-footed centre-back with excellent positional awareness and is often renowned for his composure on the ball. His side, who were promoted to the first tier just this season, are currently placed third in the league, with a large part of the credit for their success going to Arthur Dias, the rock at the back who has started every game he wasn’t suspended.
He was also an integral part of the Brazilian U-20 side’s triumph in the 2025 CONMEBOL Sub-20 Championship. For Carlo Ancelotti to pick him over experienced defender Bremer shows the faith the head coach has in this talented youngster.
Also Read: Top five biggest names in Brazil’s squad for India friendly
Jair Cunha – Nottingham Forest
Jair Cunha, who made the move from Brazil to England ahead of the 2025/26 season, struggled for minutes during his first season at Nottingham Forest after joining the club from Botafogo for an undisclosed transfer fee. The youngster was given more opportunities towards the second half of the season after Vitor Pereira took over.
However, this season, it looks like new head coach Oliver Glasner has full trust in the youngster, starting him at the center of his famous back-three system, even ahead of new big-money signing Ousmane Diomande.
At 6’6″, he is a perfect fit for the low block that Oliver Glasner prefers to play, making the best use of his aerial and physical prowess. Like his captain Marquinhos, Cunha is comfortable on both feet and is known for his last-ditch tackles, using his long levers to make clean challenges.
Mauro Junior – PSV Eindhoven
Full-backs, especially left-backs, have been a concern for Brazil ever since the retirement of Marcelo, with the national team having tried out the likes of Alex Telles, Alex Sandro, Douglas Santos and many other options but been unable to find a long-term solution.
Playing for PSV Eindhoven in the Eredivisie, Mauro Junior is a 27-year-old left-back who has good positional awareness, with the ability to drop into a centre-back role or a defensive midfield role during transitions. While his attacking output is not his major strength, his defensive stability and aggressiveness make him ideal to play as an inverted left-back.
While certain reports suggested that he had the opportunity to represent the Dutch national team, Ancelotti has called him up to the Brazilian senior NT for the first time in the player’s career.
Matheuzinho – Corinthians
Another new face in the Brazilian squad is Matheuzinho, who replaces Danilo at right-back. Due to a lack of proven right-back options, Carlo Ancelotti had to try out even midfielder Ederson in the position ahead of the World Cup. However, this time around, he has looked for a new face and a fresh option, calling up the Corinthians right-back.
He is expected to compete alongside Wesley for the right-back spot, who returns to the squad after missing out on the World Cup due to an injury.
Matheuzinho is an engine on the right flank who creates a good number of chances in attack with his technical passing abilities and pinpoint crossing, making him a perfect fit to play even as a right wing-back. He is also renowned for his willingness to step up and proactively win possession with crucial interceptions rather than waiting for things to happen.
Breno Bidon – Corinthians
Primarily a central midfielder, Breno Bidon offers an excellent opportunity for Carlo Ancelotti to play him anywhere in midfield or even out wide, thanks to his versatility. At just 21 years of age, he is incredibly experienced for a player of his age, having already made over 140 appearances for the Corinthians senior team.
Not a physical unit in midfield, Bidon compensates for it with his brilliant positional awareness and defensive mobility. He is known for his ability to stay deep and create chances, while also having a huge say in controlling the tempo of the game. He has won three trophies since the start of 2025 with Corinthians and has played a crucial role as a starter in all of them.
Like Arthur Dias, Breno Bidon also played a key role in Brazil U-20’s triumph in the 2025 CONMEBOL Sub-20 Championship. Can he be the long-term replacement for Casemiro in the Brazilian NT? That is a question only time can answer.
Gabriel Bontempo – Santos
While all eyes were hoping to see a Brazilian legend from Santos being picked in the squad, it was another youngster who found his name in Carlo Ancelotti’s 26-member squad, as Gabriel Bontempo receives his maiden senior NT call-up, while the much-awaited Neymar was not picked, as he has retired.
Another midfielder who is comfortable playing on the wings, Gabriel Bontempo has played most of his minutes in the Brazilian Serie A on the right wing for Santos this season. He can play as an eight, a six, a ten, a left winger or a right winger and not just play in these positions but also make an impact on the game.
At 5’11”, he uses his body to shield the ball and resist opposition pressure, while using his tactical versatility to play quick one-two lay-offs and move the ball forward. Based on his profile and strengths, he could be a like-for-like replacement picked by Carlo Ancelotti for Lucas Paqueta in the Brazilian midfield.
When is India’s friendly against Brazil scheduled?
India are set to play against Brazil on October 3rd at 19:00 PM IST at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata.
Which club does Gabriel Bontempo play for?
Gabriel Bontempo plays for Santos in the Brazilian Serie A; the same club Neymar plays for.
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