Messi backs Neymar for Brazil’s 2026 World Cup squad despite fitness doubts

Lionel Messi has put his weight behind Neymar’s bid for Brazil’s 2026 World Cup squad, backing the forward even as fitness doubts and selection standards tighten around the Brazilian camp. Speaking on the Lo del Pollo show, Messi said Neymar is one of the best players in the world and that it would be wonderful to see him at the tournament.

The endorsement carries unusual force because Messi and Neymar shared two major dressing rooms, spending four seasons together at Barcelona and two years together at Paris Saint-Germain. Messi said he was not fully objective because Neymar is a friend, but made clear that he would love to see him at the World Cup and hopes good things happen to him. The comments also sharpen a larger question Brazil is facing: whether the squad should be built around present performance, past stature or the psychological edge a global star can bring to a tournament.

That debate is not theoretical. Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti has repeatedly said Neymar must be in top physical condition and that the national team will select only players who are 100% fit. Ancelotti has excluded Neymar from his squads since taking over Brazil in June 2025, and the forward has not played for the national team since October 2023, when he tore the ACL and meniscus in his left knee.

Neymar remains central to Brazil’s identity and its record books. He is the country’s all-time leading scorer with 79 goals, a résumé that still gives him a claim on any conversation about the squad. He returned to Santos in January 2025 after leaving Al Hilal, and his effort to rebuild rhythm and condition has been watched closely as he tries to force his way into a possible fourth World Cup.

Brazil has already qualified for the tournament, which begins on June 11, 2026, in the United States, Canada and Mexico, but the road there exposed familiar pressure points. The team finished fifth in CONMEBOL qualifying with 28 points, a result that underscored why every roster decision is under scrutiny. Messi also said Brazil remains a real contender for the title, alongside France and Spain, a reminder that the sport still measures Brazil not just by reputation, but by whether Neymar can still help carry the burden when the stakes are highest.