Top five stars missing from Brazil's squad vs India ft. Neymar, Casemiro

India will play Brazil at the VYBK Stadium on 3rd October 

Carlo Ancelotti has named a strong 26-man Brazilian national team squad that will be facing the Indian football team on 3rd October. Vinicius Jr, Marquinhos, Raphinha, Bruno Guimaraes, Gabriel Magalhaes, and Endrick are a few big names that have been included in the squad. 

Head coach Ancelotti had made it clear that Brazil were looking for a transition post their round-of-16 exit to Norway in the FIFA World Cup 2026. Hence, it was no surprise when some veterans were left out of the squad ahead of Brazil’s upcoming games. 

Here are five big names that are missing from Brazil’s squad ahead of the game against India.

Alisson Becker

The 33-year-old will go down in history as one of the best goalkeepers for the Brazilian national team, having played for the Seleção in the 2018, 2022, and 2026 editions of the World Cup. Alisson has made 83 appearances for his nation and has helped his nation win the Copa América 2019. 

While Alisson has not announced his retirement, Carlo Ancelotti might be looking towards other options. He has excluded the Liverpool shot stopper ahead of the international break and has included the trio of Hugo Souza, Otavio, and Pedro Morisco as his possible goalkeeping choices. 

Casemiro

Casemiro has been an integral part of the Brazilian squad since making his senior debut in 2011. The former Real Madrid and Manchester United star made 91 appearances for his national team and helped them win the 2019 CONMEBOL Copa América title. 

The 34-year-old moved to Inter Miami over the summer and is still going strong. However, Casemiro‘s days with the Brazil national team are likely behind him, as his manager is looking for other options.  

Carlo Ancelotti had claimed in a recent press conference that he is looking for younger talent in his squad ahead of the 2028 Copa America.

Also Read: Top five biggest names in Brazil’s squad for India friendly

Hence, the Brazil manager mentioned that he may no longer call up the five-time UEFA Champions League winner for any further appearances. 

Igor Thiago 

The 25-year-old was handed his international debut by Carlo Ancelotti this year, and the player was also included in the Seleção’s World Cup squad.

Igor played in Brazil’s 1-1 draw against Morocco, but he failed to impress. He was an unused substitute in the remaining four games. 

With 2 goals in 5 appearances, Igor Thiago’s international career is still quite young. The striker did get some backlash for his below-average performance against Morocco in the World Cup, and he will need to rely on his goalscoring form at Brentford this season to script a comeback to the Brazilian national team. 

Lucas Paqueta

Lucas Paqueta is another veteran who has been excluded by Carlo Ancelotti ahead of the upcoming friendlies. The midfielder played four games in the 2026 FIFA World Cup and had 1 assist against his name in the tournament. 

Overall, the Flamengo player has 13 goals in 67 appearances for the Seleção since making his international debut in 2018.

Given that he is 29 years old, Lucas still has time on his side and can surely make a comeback to the Brazilian side on the back of some good performances for his club. 

Neymar 

Unlike the other players mentioned on this list, Neymar had announced his retirement from the national team after Brazil’s elimination from the FIFA World Cup 2026.

The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain star had failed to regain full fitness after a constant bout of injuries, and this eventually led him to make a premature decision. 

Neymar retired from international football as Brazil’s all-time top goal scorer. The 34-year-old scored 80 goals in 130 appearances for the Seleção as he helped his nation win the 2013 Confederations Cup and the gold medal at the 2016 Olympics. 

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