In Australia, Carlo Ancelotti has opened Brazil’s road to the 2030 World Cup with a markedly younger squad and a willingness to leave some of the Canarinha’s defining names behind. The Italian, now contracted through to 2030, began work on Monday with a 26-man group for friendlies against Australia and India, framing the camp as the first step of a longer rebuild.
Key takeaways
- Only 10 members of Brazil’s 2026 World Cup squad were selected for the Australia camp.
- Eight players received their first senior call-ups in Ancelotti’s 26-man group.
- Neymar will not return after confirming that he does not wish to play for Brazil again.
- Vinicius Junior and Raphinha remain part of the plans, while younger forwards have been heavily prioritised.
- Ancelotti intends to use 16 FIFA international windows, qualifiers and official tournaments to shape the side for 2030.
A new Brazilian attacking line
Ancelotti has retained established attacking figures who can still be available for the next World Cup, notably Vinicius Junior and Raphinha, but the selection points decisively towards renewal. Endrick of Real Madrid, Chelsea pair Estevao and Joao Pedro, Bournemouth forward Rayan and Flamengo’s Samu Lino are among the younger attacking options brought into the picture.
The coach sees Endrick and Rayan, both eligible by age for the 2028 Olympics, as particularly significant to the coming cycle. He plans to work closely with Brazil’s youth-team coaches, especially the under-23 staff preparing for Olympic qualification.
“Over the past year we looked at many centre-forwards, but now I think the situation is very clear for everyone,” Ancelotti said. “We have a couple of very strong young players and we must follow their development.”
The change also closes the door on experienced players. Neymar, Brazil’s leading scorer in official internationals, has made clear that he does not want to resume his international career. Casemiro, the former Real Madrid midfielder and Brazil captain who has long known Ancelotti, is another senior figure outside the new plans.
Ancelotti indicated that players over 30 are unlikely to be central to his selection, with his priority instead being to give chances to those capable of reaching the 2030 tournament.
Time to build after the 2026 exit
Brazil’s previous World Cup campaign ended with elimination by Norway in the United States, and Ancelotti had worked with that group for only a year. With his deal extended until 2030, he believes the four-year preparation period offers a very different opportunity.
“Now we have the motivation and the time needed to prepare a new cycle and arrive better prepared for the next competitions,” he said.
Brazil will have 16 FIFA windows before the 2030 World Cup, in addition to competitive fixtures and qualifying matches. Ancelotti wants to use that calendar to test a far broader group than the 26 players currently in Australia.
“We now have time to prepare better, and the idea is very clear: introduce a new generation of footballers,” he said. “We can work more carefully, without rushing, and make the right decisions for the future.”
