Carlo Ancelotti said Neymar is available, fit and ready to play for Brazil against Scotland, giving last night's football results a different edge before Wednesday's match in Miami. The update matters because Neymar has not played for Brazil since October 2023, and Brazil are still chasing a World Cup after a 24-year wait.
Carlo Ancelotti in Miami
Ancelotti arrived a little after 21:00 in Miami to address journalists about the meeting with Scotland on Wednesday. He did not hedge on Neymar's status. “He is available. He trained very well this week. He is fit and ready to play.”
The 34-year-old forward has not played for Brazil since October 2023, when injury kept him out of the 1-1 draw with Morocco in the Group C opener. Brazil will want the same kind of end product they have lacked in recent tournaments, and Neymar remains the team’s record goalscorer with 79 goals.
Neymar and Joao Pedro
Ancelotti went further on Neymar's condition. “We are very happy. He is a high-quality player. He can play half-time or the whole 90 minutes. He's very well, he worked very hard. So he is ready.” That gives Brazil a clear decision point: whether to use him from the start or manage his minutes in a match that sits at the center of their World Cup planning.
The call also sharpened the debate around selection. Brazil chose Neymar ahead of Chelsea's Joao Pedro in the World Cup squad, and that decision has already split opinion. Ancelotti framed Neymar as more than a returning name. “He brings experience, knowledge and is doing very well.”
Brazil's attack pressure
Brazil last ended a 24-year wait for a World Cup in the United States at USA '94, and they are trying to avoid another long gap. Vinicius Jnr is being viewed as Brazil's best hope of producing the kind of fireworks Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe have been serving up at this World Cup, but Neymar's return changes the shape of the attack immediately.
That leaves Wednesday's match against Scotland as more than a routine test. Brazil now have a fit Neymar available, a debate over Joao Pedro still hanging over the squad, and a coach willing to use the 79-goal scorer for half-time or the full 90 minutes if needed.
