Sport
Ancelotti Says Neymar and Rodrygo Are Not Playing Because They Are Injured
Brazil’s head coach Carlo Ancelotti has opened up on why Neymar and Rodrygo were left out of the squad for next month’s 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Chile and Bolivia.
On Monday, Ancelotti named 26 players for the crucial games, but Neymar, who is still recovering from injury, and Rodrygo, along with Vinicius who is suspended, were missing from the list. In their place, fresh faces such as Kaio Jorge, Caio Henrique, Douglas Santos, João Pedro, and Luiz Henrique got the call.
Speaking to ESPN Brazil, Ancelotti explained his decision. He said that while he has great admiration for Rodrygo, every player representing Brazil must be fully fit. According to him, a national team player must be at 100 percent physically, and if not, there are always others ready to step in.
When asked if he had personally told Neymar and Rodrygo why they were not included, Ancelotti noted that he didn’t need to. He said they already understand the expectations that come with playing for Brazil. Still, he added that if either of them wanted more clarity, they could easily reach out to him since both have his number.
Former footballer Thierry Henry has shared his thoughts on Arsenal’s match following their loss to Atlético Madrid on October 13.
Speaking during a brief interview on CBS Sports, Henry criticised the practice of players or coaches expressing certain opinions through the media instead of addressing issues directly within the dressing room.
“I’m not a coach anymore, but I always say, whoever speaks like that, out. Keep that in the dressing room, it’s as simple as that,” Henry said on CBS Sports.
“That is the only way it can work. You have to say those things to a person’s face… going through the press, I am not really a fan of that.”
Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique has shared his thoughts on the 2026 Ballon d’Or award, revealing that he hopes the winner will come from his team.
The manager spoke about how hard his players have worked and expressed his belief that they deserve the recognition.
“What I hope is that we win this trophy. We have players who deserve it.”
“Last year, we were the best team. We showed that it wasn’t just Ousmane Dembélé who deserved it.”
French football pundit Walid Acherchour has named Lamine Yamal as his pick to win the 2026 Ballon d’Or, sparking reactions among football fans.
Acherchour’s choice came as a surprise to some fans, who expected him to support fellow Frenchman Kylian Mbappé instead.
Speaking about his prediction, Acherchour expressed confidence in Yamal’s chances of winning the prestigious individual award.
“For me, Lamine Yamal, he is going to get it [2026 Ballon d’Or]. For me, there’s no doubt anymore,” Acherchour said, as quoted by Actu Foot. That start to the season shows that in fact, he was injured during the World Cup. He was the best player in La Liga, and he won the World Cup.
“Even if, for me, in fact, he doesn’t have the Ballon d’Or unanimously because his World Cup was average, even being average, he won it with Spain. He won La Liga with Barça.”
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