Neymar has been left out of Brazil’s squad by coach Carlo Ancelotti for friendlies against France and Croatia later this month.
The Brazilian striker, the all-time leading scorer for his national team, posted a 20-minute video on his YouTube channel, where he is seen watching the list being announced live.
When he didn’t hear his name called, he reacted humorously by saying: “Hey Ancelotti, what about me?”, before sportingly accepting the decision.
“Of course I’m sad, but I will continue to support the national team. Everything is fine, I will continue to work and I will be ready if I get the chance,” Neymar said.
The Italian coach stressed that Neymar’s absence is only related to his physical condition and not his quality.
“Neymar can still go to the World Cup. If he arrives at the tournament 100 percent fit, he will be there. The reason why he is not on this list is that he is not fully fit. At the moment we need players who are immediately in optimal form,” Ancelotti declared.
He added that the player must continue to work to reach his maximum physical level, stressing that Neymar’s technical abilities are not in doubt at all.
Recall that Neymar returned to Santos last year and underwent knee surgery in December. He has recently returned to the field, playing four matches in which he has scored two goals and provided two assists.