WORLD CUP
Last chance for Neymar after missed World Cup audition
Neymar is still the most famous Brazilian alive, and the record goal scorer for the national team. But he might be left out of the 2026 World Cup. Photo: Vitor Silva/CBF
It’s Tuesday evening in Mirassol, a small town of some 65,000 inhabitants, located deep in the countryside of the southeastern Brazilian state of São Paulo. At the humble Maião stadium, the local football club has an important league match ahead, welcoming Santos — as well as an illustrious European guest.
Carlo Ancelotti, the legendary five-time Champions League-winning coach and manager of the Brazilian national team, is in the stands as Mirassol’s guest of honor. He arrived 20 minutes before kick-off, trying to keep a low profile in one of the stadium’s executive boxes, sucking on his vape pen and refusing interviews.
He’s here for one reason: to watch Santos’s number 10: Neymar…
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