Why didn't Neymar play against Japan?

29.06.26 FT World Cup

Brazil

2

:

Japan

1

Brazil booked their place in the round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup with a 2-1 victory over Japan, but one detail stood out: Neymar didn’t play a single minute of the match.

After the final whistle, Carlo Ancelotti explained his decision. The Italian manager had initially planned to bring his superstar on around the hour mark. However, after Brazil’s equalizer, he opted to keep his team unchanged:

We had planned to bring Neymar on around the 60th or 65th minute. After our goal, the team was controlling the match and I didn’t want to disrupt the balance.

Ancelotti also reminded everyone that the strength of the Seleção lies in the entire squad, not just one player. Neymar could, however, play a bigger role in the next match, where Brazil will face either Norway or Ivory Coast.

Aliou Toundé |

Editorfr

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