Brentford striker Igor Thiago has received his first senior Brazil call-up, but there is no place in Carlo Ancelotti’s squad for Santos forward Neymar.
Thiago, 24, is the Premier League’s second top-scorer this season with 18 goals in 29 appearances, and is one of four first-time selections in the 26-player squad for March’s friendlies — Brazil’s final camp before the 2026 World Cup — alongside Bournemouth striker Rayan, 19, Flamengo defender Leo Pereira, 30 and Galatasaray midfielder Gabriel Sara, 26.
Real Madrid forward Endrick, who joined Lyon on loan in January, also returns to the squad, marking his first call up since Ancelotti’s appointment as head coach last summer. However, there is no place for midfielder Lucas Paqueta, who moved to Flamengo from West Ham United in January.
Neymar, 34, missed the first 10 matches of this season after undergoing arthroscopy surgery on his left knee in December.
He is Brazil’s all-time top scorer with 79 goals in 128 appearances, but has contended with a series of injuries in recent seasons and has not represented his country since 2023.
Neymar has made four appearances for Santos this term, having rejoined his boyhood club from Al Hilal in January 2025, providing two goals and two assists. Speaking to reporters after Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Corinthians, he said he still had ambitions of making the World Cup squad.
“I wish to go back to the national team and play in the World Cup, but that’s not up to me,” he said, in quotes reported by the Associated Press. “Whether I am there or not, I will always cheer for Brazil.”
The call up for Thiago represents his first at any level of international football, having not represented Brazil at youth level. He joined Brentford for an initial €33million fee from Club Brugge in the summer of 2024 and after injury impacted his debut season in the Premier League, he has enjoyed a breakthrough campaign this term.
Thiago has received his first Brazil call-up (Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
Rayan, who has represented Brazil up to under-20 level, signed for Bournemouth from Vasco de Gama in January for €28.5m, and he has scored twice in seven Premier League appearances.
Fellow first-time call-ups Sara and Pereira both also featured for Brazil at youth level, with the former joining Galatasaray in 2024 following two seasons with Norwich City.
Brazil play friendlies against France at Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts on March 26, before facing Croatia at Camping World Stadium in Orlando on April 1. It is the final international break before the end of May and early June, when Brazil have friendlies against Panama and Egypt in the lead up to the World Cup which begins on June 11.
The squad will be based in Orlando for March’s camp.
Brazil are in Group C at the 2026 World Cup, alongside Morocco, Haiti and Scotland.
Brazil squad in full
Goalkeepers: Alisson (Liverpool), Bento (Al Nassr), Ederson (Fenerbahce).
Defenders: Alex Sandro (Flamengo), Bremer (Juventus), Danilo (Flamengo), Douglas Santos (Zenit), Gabriel Magalhães (Arsenal), Ibanez (Al-Ahly), Leo Pereira (Flamengo), Marquinhos (PSG), Wesley (Roma).
Midfielders: Andrey Santos (Chelsea), Casemiro (Manchester United), Danilo (Botafogo), Fabinho (Al-Ittihad), Gabriel Sara (Galatasaray).
Forwards: Endrick (Lyon), Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal), Igor Thiago (Brentford), Luiz Henrique (Zenit), Matheus Cunha (Manchester United), Raphinha (Barcelona), Rayan (Bournemouth), Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid), Joao Pedro (Chelsea).
