Neymar is a major question mark for Brazil's squad for the World Cup, which will be held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. This isn't due to his technical skills, which are unquestionable at this point. The concern lies in whether his physical condition will allow him to meet the demands of the global tournament. Carlo Ancelotti is giving the Santos star hope. The former Real Madrid coach included the forward in the preliminary list of 55 players being considered for the biggest event in world football. From that list, 26 players will be selected for the final squad. Will he go to the World Cup? Carlo Ancelotti fuels Neymar's hopes and includes him in Brazil's preliminary list. Neymar has never been considered for the process under the former Real Madrid coach while he was in charge of the Brazilian national team. To make matters worse, the physical difficulties he has experienced recently have kept him further away from the most powerful team in the world, according to history. However, the coach had set a condition for considering him. "If he returns to 100%, something he is fully capable of, he can play for the national team," the coach declared. There was, of course, a fundamental condition: "To demonstrate that he has the necessary physical condition to play in the next World Cup." The star has been vocal about his intention to compete in the tournament. "Yes, of course I'm thinking about the World Cup. Every Brazilian player wants to be there. I hope I can be," he said after the match between Santos and San Lorenzo in the Copa Sudamericana, in Argentina. This year, Neymar has played 13 matches in the Brasileirao, Campeonato Paulista, Copa do Brasil, and Copa Sudamericana. His quality, at least, remains intact: in that limited number of matches, he scored six goals and provided two assists. Neymar, at Santos. The last memory of the forward wearing his national team jersey is unfortunate. The last time he wore the green and yellow jersey was on October 17, 2023, against Uruguay, in the World Cup qualifiers. That day, he suffered a cruciate ligament tear. Suffering. Brazil is concerned about the physical problems of several of its key players. Rodrygo and Militao, from Real Madrid, are ruled out. The latest is Estevao, the young star of Chelsea. It is precisely that spot that the Olympic champion from Rio de Janeiro 2016 is hoping to fill. According to Globo Esporte, the source of the information, Brazil will announce the definitive list for the tournament on Monday, November 18th. Nine days later, the training camp will begin in Granja Comary, Teresópolis, with the exception of those participating in the Champions League final between PSG and Arsenal. Brazil will debut in the World Cup on June 13th, against Morocco. Before that, they will play against Panama (May 31st, at the Maracanã) and Egypt (June 6th, in Cleveland). NEWSLETTER El Deportivo. Monday, 8:45 AM. A special selection with coverage and analysis of the most important sporting events of the weekend, by the sports team of La Tercera. By subscribing, you are accepting the Terms and Conditions and the Privacy Policies of La Tercera.