Rio de Janeiro’s next Brazil window is already looking beyond the World Cup. Carlo Ancelotti has selected a squad with a pronounced new face for September and October friendlies against Australia on 25 and 29 September, followed by India on 3 October, leaving a substantial group of established internationals to continue their club work elsewhere.
Only nine members of Brazil’s World Cup group are in the latest party. Marquinhos, Gabriel Magalhães, Douglas Santos, Bruno Guimarães, Danilo Santos, Raphinha, Vinícius Júnior and Rayan are among the names retained, while several veterans appear unlikely to feature in the road to 2030.
Quick facts
- Brazil face Australia twice, on 25 and 29 September, before meeting India on 3 October.
- Neymar, Casemiro, Danilo, Fabinho, Alex Sandro and Weverton are among the senior players omitted.
- Alisson has played all seven Liverpool matches in 2026-27, while Éderson has started each of Atalanta’s seven games.
- Gabriel Martinelli has three goals in four Al-Hilal appearances after his move to Saudi Arabia.
- Matheus Cunha has begun Manchester United’s season with two goals and one assist.
In goal, Alisson remains Liverpool’s undisputed first choice, as he has been since joining the club in 2018. The 33-year-old featured in all seven games this season and produced two notable stops from Evanilson last weekend, including a reflex save after a backheeled effort aimed into the corner.
Ederson, also 33, has secured his place at Fenerbahçe after beginning his second Turkish campaign as deputy. Since making his debut in the first leg against Lyon in Champions League qualifying, he has started eight consecutive matches.
Weverton, 38, has continued as Grêmio’s regular goalkeeper after the World Cup. He made 11 saves against Palmeiras in the latest Brazilian league round, with at least three outstanding interventions in a display that frustrated his former club.
Danilo has had a more limited return at Flamengo. Having started all five of Brazil’s World Cup fixtures, the 35-year-old has played five times for Flamengo since returning from the United States, starting three of the club’s 15 matches in that period.
At Al-Ahli, Ibáñez has been a near-ever-present. The 27-year-old has completed 90 minutes in 10 of the club’s 11 fixtures this season, missing only one game.
Bremer has also been heavily involved at Juventus. The 29-year-old has appeared in every post-World Cup match, starting all five Serie A outings and playing each to the finish; his only substitute appearance came in the Europa League against NEC Breda.
Léo Pereira remains central to Flamengo’s defence at 30. He recently scored the second goal in a 2-0 Copa Libertadores win away to Independiente del Valle.
Alex Sandro has endured a more uneven spell. A muscle issue suffered after the late-July draw with Inter kept him out for around six weeks, and the 35-year-old struggled after coming on in Flamengo’s 2-1 win over Corinthians before responding with a stronger display in another 2-1 victory, against Bragantino.
Casemiro has started positively at Inter Miami despite criticism of his World Cup performances. The 34-year-old has four goals and a trophy from 14 games alongside Lionel Messi, although he has also scored an own goal; his previous Manchester United season was the most productive scoring campaign of his career, with nine goals.
Éderson’s proposed Manchester United move collapsed amid claims of a failed medical, but the Atalanta midfielder has answered on the pitch. The 27-year-old has started all seven of the Italian side’s matches in 2026-27.
Fabinho changed clubs late in the transfer window and has immediately become a Trabzonspor starter. The 32-year-old has made four appearances for the Turkish club and has crossed paths again with former Liverpool teammate Mohamed Salah.
Lucas Paquetá missed Flamengo’s first three post-World Cup matches with a left-thigh injury sustained against Japan. Since then, the 29-year-old has appeared 11 times, six from the start, with inconsistent form but significant contributions against Cruzeiro in the Libertadores and Corinthians in the league.
One of the window’s most striking moves took Gabriel Martinelli from Arsenal to Al-Hilal at the age of 25, after he had completed pre-season in England. His opening four appearances in Saudi Arabia have yielded three goals, all scored in the rout of Al-Taawoun.
Igor Thiago, 25, is still working through a slower start at Brentford after scoring 25 times in 40 matches last season, including 22 Premier League goals. His first league strike of the new campaign arrived in his fifth game, while he has played all seven Brentford fixtures and scored once in the League Cup, where he was a substitute for both ties.
Luiz Henrique’s planned move to Flamengo fell apart because the clubs could not bridge their financial differences. The 25-year-old has instead featured in nine of Zenit’s 13 matches, making six starts, scoring twice and supplying one assist.
Matheus Cunha, an important World Cup performer with three goals in five Brazil games, has started Manchester United’s campaign in sharp form. The 27-year-old scored against Fulham on Sunday and has been involved in every match, adding one assist to his two goals.
Neymar has played nine times for Santos since the tournament, scoring twice against Chapecoense. He also provided assists against Remo, Macará twice, and Mirassol before suffering an injury against Palmeiras at Vila Belmiro.
