Author: Barkha Roy
On Saturday, September 23, coach Fernando Diniz released the squad list for the Brazilian national team’s upcoming matches against Venezuela and Uruguay in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. As well as reaffirming his faith in Neymar as the team’s mainstay and including the recovered Vini Jr. and Richarlison, the coach also surprised everyone with his choices.
Flamengo midfielder Gerson has received another call-up to the Brazilian national team. This decision came after he was left out during Tite’s tenure.
Gerson is known for his versatility on the pitch, having played as a defensive midfielder, further forward and in midfield for Flamengo. He’s a physically strong and dynamic player who has shown significant improvement recently. Diniz spoke about his choice, saying: “He’s a combative player, and I called him with a lot of confidence. He deserves it; he’s earned it“.
When asked about the selection process, Diniz emphasized: “I didn’t focus too much on a fixed base of players. I tried to call up the best players possible. We finished our match against Peru just two weeks ago, so the sample size is quite small. Many players could have been called up, but I have a base of players from the World Cup cycle. It’s open to everyone; there are no absolute starters, but we’re calling up the best.”
Diniz also shared his expectations for Neymar, saying: “I want him to be the best Neymar possible, to write the most beautiful chapters of his soccer career. We have to make the most of his abilities; it takes a long time for another talent like him to come along. The national team is his home; he’s been part of it since 2010.“
Diniz also spoke about his hopes for the Brazilian team’s performance in the upcoming matches, saying: “It’s very difficult to predict, I don’t have any expectations about our opponents or how the matches will go. I hope we can reproduce our style of play and become more dominant with each match. We look at what Brazil haven’t produced in recent matches. We managed to produce less against Peru, but defensively we conceded almost no goals. With fewer changes to the line-up, the chances of understanding each other increase more quickly.”
Brazilian winger and Manchester United standout Antony will not be part of the national team squad for the upcoming FIFA World Cup qualifiers next month. This decision was made after allegations of physical abuse were made against him by several women.
Real Madrid’s talented forward Vinicius Jr. is returning to the Brazilian national team after recovering from a hamstring injury that sidelined him at the beginning of September. It’s also worth noting that he is expected to play for Real Madrid in the eagerly-awaited derby against Atlético Madrid this Sunday, as confirmed by coach Carlo Ancelotti.
Here is the list of players called up
Goalkeepers:
- Alisson (Liverpool)
- Ederson (Manchester City)
- Lucas Perri (Botafogo)
Defenders:
- Danilo (Juventus)
- Vanderson (Monaco)
- Caio Henrique (Monaco)
- Renan Lodi (Olympique de Marseille)
Midfielders:
- Gabriel Magalhães (Arsenal)
- Bremer (Juventus)
- Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain)
- Nino (Fluminense)
- André (Fluminense)
- Gerson (Flamengo)
- Bruno Guimarães (Newcastle)
- Casemiro (Real Madrid)
- Joelinton (Newcastle)
- Raphael Veiga (Palmeiras)
Strikers:
- Matheus Cunha (Wolverhampton)
- Neymar (Al-Hilal)
- Gabriel Jesus (Arsenal)
- Raphinha (Barcelona)
- Rodrygo (Real Madrid)
- Vinícius Junior (Real Madrid)
- Richarlison (Tottenham)