Ancelotti renews Brazil: 15 players under 23 and no Neymar for the games against Japan and Singapore

Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti announced his squad on Thursday, October 29, for the November friendlies against Japan and Singapore. The message is clear: renewal.

A very young squad

Ancelotti called up 26 players. Of them, 15 are under 23 and nine are of Olympic age.

Among the young players, three forwards stand out: Endrick (Real Madrid), Estêvão (Chelsea) and Rayan (Bournemouth).

The leaders are still Vinícius Júnior (Real Madrid) and Raphinha (Barcelona). Neymar is not on the list.

Brazil beat Japan 2-1 in the second round of the 2026 World Cup, just four months ago.

What Ancelotti said

The Italian explained that this squad is part of the renewal project that began with the September friendlies, and that it looks to the future.

He acknowledged that some of those selected do not play much for their clubs, but said he is thinking about their development.

He named six players who were at the World Cup as the backbone for the next four years: Vinícius, Raphinha, Marquinhos, Gabriel Magalhães, Douglas Santos and Bruno Guimarães. Marquinhos was not called up because he is recovering from an injury.

One player per club

In November, Brazilian clubs play the final rounds of the league and the finals of the Libertadores and the Sudamericana. To avoid hurting them, Ancelotti called up only one player from each club in Brazil.

That is why there is no one from Flamengo or Palmeiras, who are fighting for the title.

Both games will be played at Singapore's National Stadium during the November FIFA window.