Neymar was overcome with emotion on Monday night after being included in Brazil's 26-man World Cup squad.
The 34-year-old, who last played for the Brazilian national team in October 2023, was in doubt ahead of this summer's tournament due to ongoing injury problems in recent years.
In fact, after Neymar felt discomfort in his calf during Santos' match against Coritiba on Sunday, reports in Brazil say that coach Carlo Ancelotti had prepared two different lists until the last minutes.
One of them included Neymar, while the other included Chelsea striker João Pedro, who was ultimately left out of the 26-man list.
"We have been evaluating Neymar throughout the year and we have noticed that recently he has been playing regularly and has improved his physical condition," Ancelotti said in a press conference.
"He has the same role and responsibility as everyone else, but he is an experienced player. It is true that in some positions we have given priority to experience," he added.
Neymar, who will be taking part in his fourth World Cup after the 2014, 2018 and 2022 editions, was visibly excited when his name was mentioned by Ancelotti.
In a video posted by his close friend Cris Guedes, who was broadcasting the moment live, the former Barcelona and PSG star is seen smiling and sending a message to fans.
@tmcnewsbr "EU TÔ LÁ!": NEYMAR COMMEMORATE CONVOCAÇÃO AO VIVO EM LIVE 🎥 Neymar reacted ao vivo to the convocation before the 2026 World Cup during uma transmission de Cris Guedes ligada à Kings League. As soon as Carlo Ancelotti confirmed his name in the list of Seleção Brasileira, the 10th shirt appeared in euphoric form. "Eu tô lá! Eu tô lá! Eu tô lá, p*!", screamed Neymar during a live. "A gente vai ganhar essa p*", prometeu o craque. This is the first convocation of the attacker since the arrival of Ancelotti ao commando da Seleção. Aos 34 anos, Neymar vai disputar mais uma Copa do Mundo e deve lederar o Brasil no tournament disputado nos Estados Unidos, México e Canada. E aí: Neymar ainda é o principal nome da Seleção para buscar o hexa? 👀 ( 📹 Madhouse TV ) 📌 Follow @TMCEsporte before following tudo sobre a Seleção Brasileira 🟠 TRANSAMÉRICA AGORA É TMC 🟠 #TMCEsporte #CopaParaVoce
♬ original sound – TMC
After Santos' victory over Coritiba, Neymar expressed optimism about his form.
"Physically I feel very good. I'm improving from match to match," he said.
"It's been years of hard work and also a lot of untrue things that have been said about my condition. It's very sad the way people talk," he added.
He added: "I worked hard, quietly, at home, suffering because of what people said, and everything turned out well. I got where I wanted to be, in a good condition. I'm happy with my performances and everything I've done so far."
BRAZIL'S ROSTER FOR THE 2026 WORLD CUP:
Goalkeeper: Alisson Becker, Ederson, Weverton
Defender: Marquinhos, Gabriel, Gleison Bremer, Leo Pereira, Roger Ibanez, Wesley Franca, Danilo, Alex Sandro, Douglas Santos
Midfielder: Casemiro, Bruno Guimaraes, Fabinho, Danilo, Lucas Paqueta
attacker: Vinicius Jr, Raphinha, Matheus Cunha, Luiz Henrique, Gabriel Martinelli, Neymar, Endrick, Rayan, Igor Thiago./Express newspaper/
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