Once again, Carlos Ancelotti’s decisions have caused a stir in Brazil. After the coach left Neymar Jr. off the roster for the friendlies against France and Croatia, he has revealed one of the players who will be on his list for the 2026 World Cup. And, of course, it has caused a stir.
To the surprise of many fans, he did not choose one of his big stars like Raphinha, Vincius Jr., or Neymar himself, but rather the defender, Danilo Luiz da Silva.
Carletto shows his confidence in Danilo
The Italian coach was emphatic in confirming that the 34-year-old defender will be part of the final 26-man roster traveling to the United States, Mexico, and Canada to compete in the highly anticipated tournament.
“Danilo is a very important player, not only on the field but also off it. He will definitely be on the final 26-man roster because I like his character, his personality, and his playing style. He can play in all defensive positions,” Ancelotti stated at a press conference ahead of Wednesday’s friendly against Croatia in Orlando, United States (via DAZN).
However, this has caused a stir since Danilo, currently at Flamengo, is not a guaranteed starter at his club and is a substitute for the Brazilian national team. In response, Carletto put an end to the controversy:
“Danilo will be among the nine defenders. We now have a very clear idea; I have the lineup pretty much set for the first match, and also the lineup pretty much set for the final roster. Sometimes I get tired of talking about things I’ve already talked about,” he concluded.
Danilo’s inclusion is part of a strategy to balance the squad and facilitate a generational transition, combining youth with the experienced leaders the team already has to help sustain the group in a highly demanding tournament.
Furthermore, some time ago, it was Carletto himself who recommended his signing to Real Madrid in 2015. Now, with this new call-up, he leaves no doubt about his support for the defender.
However, this has drawn comparisons to Neymar, as Danilo has logged 452 minutes this season-just 48 more than Santos’ star, who missed the start of the season and other matches due to injuries. Furthermore, it was noted that while the defender can play as a center back and on both flanks, Ney can operate as a “false 9.”
However, Danilo is currently free of any injury, which Ancelotti determined to be a key factor, while Neymar continues to recover from a muscle strain due to excessive fatigue in training with his club and has not played for the Brazilian national team since October 17, 2023, after suffering a serious knee injury.
Meanwhile, the final decision rests with Carletto, who is set to announce the final World Cup roster on May 18.
In this edition, Brazil will be in Group C alongside Morocco, Haiti, and Scotland. They will make their debut against Morocco on Saturday, June 13, at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium. They will then face Haiti on Friday, June 19, at Philadelphia’s Soldier Field, and on Wednesday, June 24, they will take on Scotland at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium.
