Rafael Nogueira
Joao Pedro has publicly addressed his omission from Brazil‘s 2026 World Cup squad after Carlo Ancelotti named his final 26-man group on Monday night. The Chelsea forward finished the season with 20 goals and 9 assists across all competitions, making his exclusion one of the more debated calls in the announcement.
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Pedro’s Statement
After the squad was announced, Pedro posted his reaction on his Instagram story, keeping his message measured.
“I tried to give my best at all times. Unfortunately, it wasn’t possible to fulfill this dream of representing my country in a World Cup, but I remain calm and focused, as I always try to be.”
The 24-year-old is among several players who were tipped to make the cut but didn’t. Eduardo Camavinga faced a similar outcome after being left out of France‘s squad for the same tournament.
A National Team Career Still Finding Its Footing
Pedro has made 8 appearances for Selecao since his debut in 2023. His involvement during World Cup qualification was limited, featuring in just 4 of a possible 12 matches. Appearances in the March international break against both France and Croatia had raised expectations he would secure a place in the final squad, but Ancelotti ultimately went another direction.
Ancelotti Addresses the Decision
The Brazil boss did not shy away from the topic when speaking to the national press, acknowledging the difficulty of leaving Pedro out given his club form.
“Of course, we are sad for Joao Pedro. For the season he had in Europe, he probably deserved to be on this list, but unfortunately, with all possible awareness and respect, we chose another player. I feel very sorry for Joao Pedro and all the others.”
The player who took that spot was Neymar, recalled at 34 after a period of physical difficulties. Ancelotti was direct about the reasoning behind that call.
“We evaluated Neymar throughout the year, and we saw that in this last period he played consistently and improved his physical condition. We think he is an important player, and he will be an important player in this World Cup. The evaluation for the whole year was solely based on the physical aspect. We talked about that. It was physical. In the last games, he played consistently. He may have the possibility of improving his physical condition before the first game of the Cup. He has that opportunity.”
Whether prioritizing Neymar‘s experience over Pedro‘s form proves correct will depend entirely on what Brazil delivers as they chase a sixth World Cup title.
Read also: Neymar Named in Brazil’s 2026 World Cup Squad as Ancelotti Makes His Call
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