Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti has offered a detailed explanation for his choice to leave Neymar on the substitutes’ bench throughout their 2-1 Round of 32 victory over Japan at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a decision that drew significant attention from fans and observers inside the stadium in Houston.
Brazil found themselves chasing the game for much of the contest after Kaishū Sano gave Japan a surprise lead in the 29th minute. Casemiro restored parity in the 56th minute, and Neymar spent a notable portion of the second half visibly warming up on the touchline, prompting widespread speculation among the crowd and television audiences that his introduction was imminent.
Despite those expectations, the 34-year-old Santos forward never entered the pitch. Ancelotti addressed the decision directly after the match. “We were waiting for Neymar for extra time. I spoke with him; he would have come in in the 60th or 65th minute,” the Italian coach stated. “We equalised the game, and I didn’t want to change the structure because the team had control of the game.”
Instead of deploying Neymar in what had been an open, high-tempo encounter, Ancelotti turned to Arsenal forward Gabriel Martinelli, whose impact proved decisive. Martinelli scored a stoppage-time winner in the 96th minute to complete the comeback and eliminate Japan, echoing the impact substitute role he had frequently performed for Arsenal during the 2025/26 domestic campaign.
The management of Neymar has remained a sensitive and recurring topic throughout Brazil’s participation in this North American tournament. The former Barcelona man suffered a serious ACL rupture in October 2023, and subsequent muscle injuries effectively ended his spell at Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal in early 2025. He arrived at the 2026 World Cup with fitness questions still surrounding him, though he had shown encouraging form for Santos in the lead-up to the tournament.
Ancelotti’s handling of Neymar reflects the delicate balance any coach must strike when managing a player of his profile and injury history. With Brazil still alive in the competition and progressing to the Round of 16, the Brazilian camp will be hoping that Neymar can contribute more directly in the knockout stages as the tournament advances. Whether he features from the start or continues in a managed substitute capacity remains to be seen, but Monday’s outcome suggests Ancelotti is prioritising team structure and fitness management over sentiment.
