Where is Neymar? Why Brazil forward is not playing vs. France as hopes of World Cup return fade

Ever since tearing his ACL during a 2023 World Cup qualifier against Uruguay, Neymar has dreamed of a return to the fold with the Brazil national team.

There feels like no better stage for such an occasion than the FIFA World Cup, but the window is quickly closing for the Santos star to prove his worth for that dream to come true.

As the summer tournament nears and Brazil continues its preparations for the coming competition, Neymar's chances of being in the squad have faded considerably.

The Sporting News explains why Neymar is not involved with Brazil as they face France and Croatia in March, and why it's starting to feel as if he won't be part of their World Cup campaign.

MORE: A full roundup of the players called in for Brazil to face France and Croatia in March friendlies

Why is Neymar not playing for Brazil vs. France?

Neymar was left off the Brazil roster for March friendlies against France and Croatia.

Head coach Carlo Ancelotti considered including Neymar, but in the end decided that he would not be involved as the team heads to the United States for a pair of games against European opposition.

Ancelotti explained that Neymar's exclusion was because he was not convinced the player could offer full fitness to the national team.

"Why is he not on this list now? Because he is not 100%," Ancelotti said upon the release of the Brazil roster. "We need players at 100% right now."

The Italian would not rule out Neymar for the World Cup, indicating that as long as he proved he is fully fit, he would be considered.

"As I said, for the final list, the conversation is different. Neymar has to keep working and playing, showing his qualities in a good physical condition."

Will Neymar play for Brazil at the World Cup?

After being excluded from the Brazil roster for the March friendlies, it feels unlikely that Neymar will be part of the Brazil team to play at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Beyond his failure to make the squad for the final international break before the World Cup arrives, there are multiple reports from Brazil that suggest discord between the national team setup and the country's all-time leading scorer.

First off, Neymar disputed Ancelotti's claim that he is not fully fit. In a video posted to his social media, Neymar is shown on a treatment table saying, "Hey Ancelotti, what about me?"

"We were not called up," he says shortly after. "I’m sad, obviously. I’ll always root for the national team, right? Everything is fine. Now, it’s time to keep working. Keep improving."

Santos head coach Cuca also questioned Ancelotti's claim, saying that Neymar's absence from a recent Santos match — which Ancelotti attended hoping to see Neymar play — was due to load management, with three games in a seven-day stretch.

Reports from Brazil claimed the lead-up to this decision has created a rift between Neymar and Ancelotti. From the Italian's perspective, he is selecting players to perform at the World Cup, where games will routinely be three or four days apart.

According to CNN Brasil, as cited by WorldSoccerTalk, Neymar's public claim that he is fully fit has been received as insubordinate by the national team, and his absence from the match Ancelotti attended also harmed the relationship.

The chances of Neymar suiting up for a sensational return to the national team at the World Cup are becoming slimmer with every passing absence.