Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti has left Chelsea forward Estevao off his 55-player preliminary World Cup list, while including veteran Neymar for a potential fourth tournament appearance.
Heartbreak for Chelsea’s Estêvão as muscle injury costs him first World Cup
The 19-year-old Estevao will miss the 2026 World Cup after suffering a muscle injury to his right thigh during Chelsea’s 1-0 Premier League defeat to Manchester United on April 18.
Medical staff from both Brazil and Chelsea cannot guarantee a full recovery before the tournament kicks off.
Sources report that Estevao appeared visibly dejected when he arrived at his former club Palmeiras for treatment last week. The player himself understood his participation was unlikely.
National teams must submit their preliminary 55-man squads to FIFA by May 11.
These lists remain private but serve as the exclusive pool from which coaches must select their final 26-man squads.
Ancelotti submitted Brazil’s expanded squad on Monday. The Italian coach had previously praised the Chelsea starlet as a certainty for the World Cup before the injury.
Estevao has recorded eight goals in 36 appearances since joining Chelsea from Palmeiras for £29 million ($38m) last summer.
Meanwhile, 34-year-old Neymar has taken a major step toward his fourth World Cup. Brazil’s all-time leading scorer with 79 goals makes the preliminary cut as a forward.
Ancelotti had excluded Neymar from every squad since taking over the Seleção in June.
Estevao joins Real Madrid duo Éder Militão and Rodrygo as key players who would have secured certain spots under Ancelotti but will now miss the World Cup due to serious injuries.
Brazil will announce their final 26-man squad closer to the tournament.
