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EL ALTO, Bolivia: Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti said Neymar’s physical condition will be crucial for his inclusion in the national team for next year’s World Cup, following the 33-year-old forward’s omission from recent qualifiers.
Ancelotti left Neymar out of his 23-man squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Chile and Bolivia, citing a minor leg muscle injury. However, Neymar later said his exclusion was for technical reasons.
The former Barcelona and Paris St. Germain player has not donned the famous yellow jersey since October 2023, when he suffered serious knee ligament injuries that have plagued his comeback attempts.
“We are not going to observe how Neymar plays, obviously. Everyone knows his talent,” Ancelotti told ESPN Brasil on Friday.
“In modern football, to take advantage of his talent, the player has to be in good physical condition. If he is in his best physical condition, he will have no problems being in the national team.
“Everyone wants Neymar in the national team in good physical condition. I spoke with him and I said, ‘You have time to prepare in the best way to be there and help the team try to do their best in the World Cup’.”
Neymar has shown flashes of brilliance since returning to his boyhood club, Santos, from Saudi side Al-Hilal.
However, his struggles were laid bare last month when he left the pitch in tears following Santos’ crushing 6-0 defeat by Vasco da Gama.
Ancelotti said he sees Neymar playing centrally, either as an attacking midfielder or striker.
“I spoke with him ... Everything is clear, the idea remains the same,” Ancelotti said.
“He can’t play on the outside because modern football needs forward who have physical quality, it’s very important. He can play as an attacking midfielder without problems.”
Brazil, who have already qualified for the World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States, will next be in action when they face South Korea in a friendly match in Seoul on October 10.

VIRGINIA WATER, England: Hideki Matsuyama made two eagles in shooting 8-under 64 to take a one-stroke lead over a trio of European Ryder Cup players after the second round of the BMW PGA Championship on Friday.

Viktor Hovland (66), Ludvig Åberg (69) and Justin Rose (66) were leading the pursuit of Matsuyama in their last event before the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black from Sept. 26-28.

There are 11 members of the Europe team playing this week and only one failed to make the cut — rookie Rasmus Hojgaard (5 over after a 75).

Matsuyama is making his debut in the flagship event on the European tour and the Japanese former Masters champion has immediately taken to the Wentworth Club, having made 11 birdies this week along with eagles at two of the four par-5s in the second round to be 12 under for the tournament.

At the fourth he rolled in a 15-footer, and at the 17th he chipped in from the edge of the green to jump into the lead late in the day.

“I wasn’t expecting I would play this good,” the 16th-ranked Matsuyama said.

Hovland, ranked No. 15, said he couldn’t remember chipping and putting as well as he did on Friday, when he made three straight birdies from No. 4, birdied No. 16 and holed a 40-foot putt for eagle at the last.

“I’m super happy to be where I’m at and scoring-wise, it’s incredible to be honest with you,” Hovland said.

He was tied for seventh at the BMW Championship and 12th at the Tour Championship in the recent FedEx Cup finale on the PGA Tour.

Hovland will likely be a partner for Åberg at Bethpage and the Swede also looks to be playing well, following up an opening 64 with a 69.

No. 12-ranked Rose made eight birdies to join his Ryder Cup teammates in a tie for second place.

Of the other Ryder Cup players, Rory McIlroy double-bogeyed the last to shoot level-par 72 and was 3 under — nine strokes off the lead — while Jon Rahm birdied the last two holes to shoot 69 for 4 under.