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With just 100 days to go until the 2026 World Cup, coach Carlo Ancelotti still hasn’t settled on his starting 11, with spots on the national team still open in every area of the field.
The final squad list for the World Cup will be announced on May 19, but before that, on the 16th, the coach will call up 26 players for the last round of tests—friendlies against France and Croatia (on the 26th and 31st), in the United States.
Despite the uncertainties, some names are practically guaranteed a spot, barring any medical surprises: Alisson, Marquinhos, Casemiro, Bruno Guimarães, Raphinha, Vinícius Júnior, and Estêvão.
Check out the current outlook for each position:
Goalkeepers 🧤
- Undisputed starter: Alisson is set for his third consecutive World Cup as the first-choice keeper.
- The battle for backup spots: Bento (in great form at Al-Nassr), Ederson (starting at Fenerbahçe, but has suffered recent cuts), Hugo Souza (performing well at Corinthians), and John (an outsider at Nottingham Forest) are among the favorites for the other two spots.
Center Backs 🧱
- The mainstays: Marquinhos and Gabriel Magalhães are “guaranteed” for the World Cup.
- In contention: Éder Militão is highly regarded by Carlo Ancelotti, dating back to their time at Real Madrid. Names like Alex Ribeiro (Lille), Fabrício Bruno (Cruzeiro), Danilo, Léo Pereira and Léo Ortiz (Flamengo), as well as Beraldo (PSG), also have a shot.
Fullbacks 💪
This could be considered the most unsettled area of the World Cup cycle, with many players tested by Ancelotti so far.
- Left: Alex Sandro (Flamengo), Caio Henrique (Monaco), and Douglas Santos (Zenit) have been used the most, with Carlos Augusto (Inter Milan) also in the mix.
- Right: Vanderson (Monaco) is ahead, but Wesley (Roma), Vitinho (Botafogo), and Paulo Henrique (struggling at Vasco) have also been observed.
Midfielders 💭
- The pillars: Casemiro (Manchester United) and Bruno Guimarães (Newcastle) form the core of the midfield—the latter is injured and won’t be in the next call-up, opening the door for further evaluation.
- Andrey Santos (Chelsea) and Lucas Paquetá (Flamengo) have been tested many times and have a good chance of making the final list.
- Fabinho (Al-Ittihad) is back on the radar and is an outsider, as are João Gomes (Wolverhampton) and Joelinton (Newcastle), as well as players from Brazilian football like Marcos Antônio (São Paulo), Matheus Pereira (Cruzeiro), Breno Bidon (Corinthians), and Matheus Martinelli (Fluminense).
Forwards 🔥
- The big question: Neymar, who hasn’t played since October 2023, will have his physical condition at Santos monitored until the last minute.
- Guaranteed: Estêvão (Chelsea), Matheus Cunha (Manchester United), Raphinha (Barcelona), Rodrygo (Real Madrid), and Vini Jr (Real Madrid) should be on the final list, with João Pedro (Chelsea) and Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal) also well positioned.
- Wingers: Luiz Henrique (Zenit) is competing with Antony (Betis) and Savinho (Manchester City) for a spot on the flanks, which now has another contender: Rayan, who’s been flying at Bournemouth.
- The number 9 spot is still open! Richarlison is a trusted man for Carleto, but is going through a rough patch along with the entire Tottenham squad. Endrick started strong at Lyon but has dipped in form. Igor Jesus, from Nottingham Forest, is also on the radar, along with Kaio Jorge (Cruzeiro) and Vitor Roque (Palmeiras).
So, which 26 players would you take to the World Cup?
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.