World Cup 2026: Kylian Mbappé can’t imagine Brazil without Neymar.

Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé expressed his confusion at Neymar’s omission from Brazil’s squad, stating that he couldn’t imagine the 2026 World Cup without the auriverde star. A few days earlier, Brazil’s coach Carlo Ancelotti had unveiled his list for the matches against France and Croatia, excluding the Santos FC striker. The Italian coach justified the choice by saying that the player hadn’t yet returned to 100% of his form.

Touched by this decision, Neymar hadn’t hidden his disappointment. A feeling shared, in part, by Mbappé, who remains cautious nonetheless. «Neymar is Neymar. The World Cup is reserved for global stars, and he will be there», he confided. «I can’t imagine a World Cup without Ney, but I won’t oppose Ancelotti.» «I’m sure Ney will be ready», he added, in remarks relayed by journalist Fabrizio Romano. Despite his current absence, Neymar’s presence at the World Cup remains, in Mbappé’s view, an obvious certainty in the medium term.