Neymar heads to the World Cup at 34: Ancelotti's masterstroke or Russian roulette?

When Fabrizio Romano doesn't need to confirm anything because Ancelotti himself confirms it at a press conference, you know the story is massive. Neymar Jr. will go to the 2026 World Cup. At 34 years old. With an injury record that would make any sports doctor break into a cold sweat. And with Ancelotti saying he "can improve his physical condition by the first match".

That, translated from Italian into football speak, means: "He's not at 100 per cent, but we're taking him anyway."

The real loser is João Pedro from Chelsea, who was coming off a standout season in the Premier League and finds himself left out of the 26-man squad. In Brazil the reaction has been mixed: half the nation celebrating the prodigal son's return; the other half wondering if this makes any footballing sense.

What nobody can deny is the historic weight of the moment: this will be Neymar's fourth World Cup. In 2014 he was the host with a broken knee. In 2022, the dream ended in the quarter-finals. In 2026, at 34, he has one last chance to win the only thing missing from his CV to be the greatest Brazilian of his generation.

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