Ronaldinho spoke about Neymar's absence from Brazil and shared his thoughts on Ancelotti's tenure.

A few weeks ago, Carlo Ancelotti announced the squad list for the Brazil national team for the last double matchday of the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup. Although the Seleção has already secured its qualification, the absences of Rodrygo, Vinícius Jr., and Neymar Jr caused a stir throughout the country and prompted reactions from several Brazilian football legends.

One of those who spoke out was Ronaldinho, a key figure in Verdeamarelha's last title in 2002. The former player focused especially on Neymar's case, his heir to the number 10 jersey: "I think it will be a process," Ronaldinho admitted when asked about Neymar's return to the national team.

"It's Ney, there's no turning back. He'll be there soon, he has to help us become world champions again," he said at the press conference before the friendly for the 60th anniversary of Mineirão.

The former striker also spoke about Ancelotti, with whom he played at Milan: "He arrived recently; I worked with him at Milan and I must say that he is a successful and experienced man. I wish him luck and I hope he can help the country return to the top," he emphasized.

Ancelotti's explanation for Neymar's absence

When asked about the absences of Neymar, Vinícius, and Rodrygo, the Italian coach was clear: "A player who is on the national team must be at 100% of his physical condition."

He added with irony: "If you want explanations, you can call me. Rodrygo surely has my number and I think Neymar does too."

Finally, Ancelotti explained that having already secured a ticket to the World Cup allows him to experiment: "The idea of this draft is to get to know players I don't know yet. Although I know them technically, I want to get to know others who can help do things well in the national team," he concluded.