Top six players left out of Brazil's FIFA World Cup 2026 final squad ft. Joao Pedro & Antony

Carlo Ancelotti announced the official names on May 18.

The Brazil national football team are now ready with their final list of players. They will now be gearing up hard for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The Selecao have won the competition a record five times. They last clinched the World Cup title back in 2002 and since then, the side hasn’t been the same. On the road to the 2026 edition of the mega competition, Brazil have not done the best, but it was enough to qualify for FIFA’s flagship tournament.

Carlo Ancelotti has been serving as the head coach of the Brazil national football team since May 2025. He is also the first permanent foreign manager for the Selecao. Ever since the Italian manager took over, there has been hardly any difference in the performances of the side. They have capable players in the squad and with some improved tactics, we might see them battling strongly at the World Cup.

Ancelotti had to make some tough decisions and has now announced the final squad, where players like Neymar, Vinicius Junior, Marquinhos and others have been included.

Also Read: Carlo Ancelotti names Brazil FIFA World Cup 2026 squad ft. Neymar & Vinicius Jr

Top players missing from Brazil’s final World Cup squad

6. Bento

The 26-year-old goalkeeper has been one of the most consistent players for Al Nassr this season. His performances between the posts have improved since the beginning of the season. Bento was included in Brazil’s preliminary squad, but his name is not in the final squad. He recently made a mistake during the Al Nassr vs Al Hilal Saudi Pro League fixture, due to which he might have been left out by Carlo Ancelotti.

Also Read: Top five players left out of Portugal’s FIFA World Cup 2026 squad ft. Mateus Fernandes

5. Andrey Santos

He started in 13 Premier League matches for Chelsea this season and despite that, he has not been included in the final 26-man squad of Brazil for the upcoming edition of the mega competition. Due to his underwhelming performances for his club, Andrey Santos has likely been left out.

4. Richarlison

Richarlison started the 2025-26 campaign with a bunch of top-notch performances for Tottenham Hotspur. Most of the fans were thinking that he was going to be the first choice for the no. 9 position for Carlo Ancelotti. But with his inconsistent fitness and performances on the field, some better options other than him have been picked up to represent Brazil on the world stage.

3. Antony

Antony has come up with some match-winning efforts for Real Betis this season. He is not included and there can be a lot of questions among the fans, but with a lot of competition for the places, the Italian manager might have left him out. With options like Endrick, who is also performing brilliantly, was considered a better option. Raphinha can also play on the right flank if needed.

Also Read: Brazil FIFA World Cup 2026 squad: Full club-wise breakdown of Carlo Ancelotti’s selections

2. Thiago Silva

There was a hope for the veteran centre-back to compete at the upcoming edition of FIFA’s flagship tournament, but he has been left out of the final squad of Brazil. Even though he returned to Europe during the winter window after signing for FC Porto, the 41-year-old Thiago Silva only started in six league games for his club. This might be a reason why his name is not there in the final list.

1. Joao Pedro

The 24-year-old is not going to represent Brazil at the FIFA World Cup 2026. Carlo Ancelotti has come up with a reason, where he mentioned, “Believe me, I am SAD for João Pedro. With the season he is having, he probably DESERVED to go to the World Cup. However, with all possible respect and with so much competition, we chose other players ahead of him… But we truly feel sorry for João. I’m sorry.”

Pedro has been a top performer for Chelsea this season and will now have to wait four more years to represent the Selecao on the biggest stage of them all.

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