While including Raphinha and leaving Neymar and Casemiro out, head coach Carlo Ancelotti has dropped a total of 15 players from his 2026 World Cup squad for the upcoming international window. Carlo Ancelotti has initiated the blueprint for his second World Cup cycle following a disappointing round-of-16 exit against Norway. Omitting established stars like Neymar and Casemiro while recalling Barcelona winger Raphinha, the Italian manager released a transformed squad list that drops 15 players from the roster that featured in the 2026 World Cup across North America. Following a 2-1 defeat to Norway, Neymar confirmed his international retirement, signaling the end of his career with the national team. Midfielder Casemiro was similarly expected to step away from international duty after departing European football to sign with Inter Miami at age 34. However, Ancelotti expanded beyond those expected departures, executing a sweeping roster overhaul for the upcoming international window. Of the 26 players who traveled to North America for the World Cup, 15 were omitted, making way for eight first-time call-ups to the senior squad. Ancelotti’s new 26-player roster Goalkeepers: Hugo Souza (Corinthians), Pedro Morisco (Coritiba), and Otavio (Cruzeiro)Defenders: Arthur Dias (Athletico Paranaense), Douglas Santos (Zenit), Gabriel Magalhaes (Arsenal), Jair (Nottingham Forest), Marquinhos (PSG), Mateuzinho (Corinthians), Mauro Jr (PSV Eindhoven), Vitor Reis (Manchester City), and Wesley (AS Roma)Midfielders: Andrey Santos (Manchester City), Breno Bidon (Corinthians), Bruno Guimaraes (Arsenal), Danilo (Botafogo), Douglas Luiz (Juventus), and Gabriel Bontempo (Santos)Forwards: Endrick (Real Madrid), Estevao (Chelsea), Joao Pedro (Chelsea), Pedro (Flamengo), Raphinha (Barcelona), Rayan (Bournemouth), Samuel Lino (Flamengo), and Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid) 26 CONVOCADOS! 🇧🇷A Seleção está pronta para novos desafios: dois jogos contra a Austrália e o primeiro confronto da história contra a Índia.25/09 | Austrália29/09 | Austrália03/10 | ÍndiaISSO É BRASIL! 🇧🇷#BateNoPeito pic.twitter.com/Yht5SuOHjr— brasil (@CBF_Futebol) September 9, 2026 Through these selections, Ancelotti reaffirmed his commitment to integrating a younger generation of talent into the national team setup while holding the base of huge names such as Raphinha and Vinicius Junior as preparations begin for the 2030 World Cup cycle. The transition represents an imperative structural pivot given the advanced age of the previous roster. During the 2026 World Cup, Brazil fielded the seventh-oldest squad in the tournament with an average age of 29.3 years, trailing only Iran, Panama, Colombia, Qatar, Cape Verde, and Scotland. Data from Transfermarkt indicates Ancelotti’s revised selection averages 24.9 years of age, reducing the roster’s collective age profile by nearly five full years. High-profile exclusions from the squad Marking an official roster transition, the full list of players omitted from Brazil’s 2026 World Cup squad includes Alisson, Ederson, Weverton, Alex Sandro, Gleison Bremer, Leo Pereira, Roger Ibanez, Danilo, Fabinho, Casemiro, Luiz Henrique, Gabriel Martinelli, Matheus Cunha, Igor Thiago, and Neymar. While absent from the upcoming autumn window, select players remain within Ancelotti’s long-term pool. While veterans like Neymar, Casemiro, Alex Sandro, and Danilo are unlikely to return, prime-age contributors such as Matheus Cunha (27), Gabriel Martinelli (25), and Igor Thiago (25) are expected to feature in future squad selections. Ancelotti’s roster overhaul drew public criticism from former defender Thiago Silva regarding the lack of veteran leadership, an issue the head coach directly addressed during Wednesday’s press conference: “For the objectives we have in these friendlies, it is a balanced list. Right now is a moment to prioritize the young players who have potential and could be there in the future. One thing is certain: a 34 or 35-year-old player won’t h
Cristian "Kily" Gonzalez's move to Inter Miami has been agreed for weeks, but a pending work permit is keeping him from officially taking over as head coach. Inter Miami fans hoping to see Cristian “Kily” Gonzalez patrolling the sideline have had to wait longer than expected, even though the Argentine coach’s arrival was announced weeks ago. The delay has left Guillermo Hoyos in charge of the team well beyond what many anticipated when the coaching change was first revealed. The holdup comes down to paperwork: Gonzalez has yet to receive the work permit required to legally coach in the United States, and Inter Miami has stated he will only officially assume his duties once that documentation clears. Until then, the move remains agreed upon but not yet formalized on the touchline. Inter Miami confirmed the agreement with Gonzalez in an official statement in late August, announcing that Hoyos would provisionally continue leading the first team until the new coach and his staff can arrive. With no fixed date yet for when Gonzalez’s visa process will conclude, Hoyos remains the man in charge for Inter Miami’s upcoming matches, continuing to oversee a squad dealing with its own injury concerns while the club awaits the paperwork that will finally hand the reins to its intended long-term coach. Kily González celebrates a goal while coaching Union de Santa Fe. (Getty Images) What’s next for Guillermo Hoyos? Hoyos, 63, has left his own future at the club open for now. Speaking to reporters after a training session, he addressed Gonzalez’s looming arrival directly: “When Kily arrives we will surely get together and talk,” he said, adding that he remains available to the club and the incoming coaching staff to help during the transition period. Inter Miami have not clarified what role, if any, Hoyos will have once Gonzalez takes over, but a club source told AFP that he continues to be held in “high regard” within the organization. Inter Miami’s current season While the coaching situation remains unresolved, Inter Miami’s on-field results have kept the club firmly in contention. The defending MLS Cup champions sit second in the Eastern Conference and third in the overall Supporters’ Shield standings, with a record of 12 wins, four losses and seven draws for 43 points. The attack has been prolific, with Lionel Messi’s 18 league goals leading an offense that has produced 58 goals through the season. The cup competitions have told a different story. Inter Miami’s CONCACAF Champions Cup run ended in March at the Round of 16 stage after consecutive 1-1 draws, and the Leagues Cup campaign also finished early, with just one win in three league-phase matches. The one remaining chance at silverware outside MLS comes on September 16, when Inter Miami host Liga MX champion Cruz Azul at Nu Stadium in the Campeones Cup final.
⚽ Champions League updates from the 8pm BST kick-off⚽ Live scoreboard | Read Football Daily | And email Scott2 min: Arsenal are wearing red shorts. Full marks for considering those with colour blindness, and acting with compassion. It doesn’t look good, mind. It’s just not Arsenal.After a moment to remember the victims of the devastating floods in Nepal, Arsenal get the ball rolling. A blistering atmosphere at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona; did anyone expect anything else? Continue reading...
Former England striker Gary Lineker (Picture: YouTube) Gary Lineker insists Arsenal are ‘one of the favourites’ to win the Champions League but could be denied by Barcelona following the signing of Manchester City legend Rodri. Premier League champions Arsenal kick-started their Champions League campaign with a 1-0 win over Serie A side Napoli on Wednesday. The Gunners enjoyed a memorable run to the final last season before suffering a heartbreaking penalty shootout defeat to back-to-back winners PSG. Lineker believes Arsenal are once again one of the leading contenders to become European champions after a productive summer and strong start to the new season. Sign up for In The Mixer, Metro's football newsletter Get exclusive analysis and previews of the biggest games every Friday. Sign up now for free. Mikel Arteta bolstered his title-winning squad with the signings of Brazil midfielder Bruno Guimaraes, England defender Ezri Konsa and Greece winger Christos Tzolis during the summer transfer window. Arsenal already look like favourites to retain their Premier League crown, with Manchester City the only other team to still boast a perfect record after three games. While Lineker expects Arsenal to go back-to-back in the Premier League, he believes they could be a ‘superstar’ short in the Champions League, where he expects Barcelona to thrive. PSG have won the last two Champions Leagues (Picture: Getty) Hansi Flick’s Spanish champions were minutes away from the Champions League final two years ago before reaching the quarter-finals last season. Barca, who are already three points clear of La Liga rivals Real Madrid, welcomed Ballon d’Or Rodri to the Nou Camp in the summer in a £65m deal from Man City. ‘Arsenal will be one of the favourites but I don’t think overall they’ve got quite the superstars that some of the other big guns in Europe have,’ Lineker said on The Rest is Football podcast. Arsenal suffered a heartbreaking penalty shootout defeat (Picture: Getty) ‘I do think Barcelona might be quite tasty and take some beating this season now they’ve got Rodri in there as well in that crucial position.’ Ex-Man City defender Micah Richards has also questioned whether Arsenal have the attacking flair to go one better in the Champions League. Arteta tried to sign Vinicius Junior and Julian Alvarez in the summer but the Brazil icon stayed at Real Madrid while the Argentine striker failed to force his way out of Atletico Madrid. {"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"'It was beautiful': Arteta hails Arsenal's attack-to-defence display in win against Chelsea","contentUrl":"https:\/\/videos.metro.co.uk\/video\/met\/2026\/09\/07\/2593273995855020828\/480x270_MP4_2593273995855020828.mp4","description":"Arsenal came from behind to beat Chelsea 2-1 at the Emirates Stadium after Morgan Rogers stunned home fans into silence with a volleyed goal 77 seconds into the game.","duration":"T5M27S","height":270,"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i.dailymail.com\/1s\/2026\/09\/07\/07\/111091359-0-image-a-53_1788761962819.jpg","uploadDate":"2026-09-07T07:17:08+0100","width":480} To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Up Next Previous Page Next Page window.addEventListener('metroVideo:relatedVideosCarouselLoaded', function(data) { if (typeof(data.detail) === 'undefined' || typeof(data.detail.carousel) === 'undefined' || typeof(data.detail.carousel.el_) === 'undefined') { return; } var player = data.detail.carousel.el_; var container = player.closest('.metro-video-player'); var placeholder = container.querySelector('.metro-video-player__up-next-placeholder'); if (placeholder) { container.removeChild(placeholder); container.classList.add('metro-video-player--related-videos-loaded'); } }); ‘I’ve got no doubts about them in the Premier League but I’m not sure about Arsenal in the Champions League,’ Richards added. ‘If you go back to last season they were actually favour
Lamine Yamal broke Kylian Mbappe's Champions League record for most goal involvements by a teenager during Barcelona's 5-1 rout of Feyenoord. Lamine Yamal has once again rewritten the Champions League history books. The Barcelona winger set a new benchmark for teenage production in the competition during Barcelona’s 5-1 rout of Feyenoord on Wednesday, moving past a mark previously set by Kylian Mbappe. According to OptaJoe, Yamal had already moved to 21 goal involvements in the Champions League with his assist for Raphinha’s opener, the outright most by a teenager in the competition’s history, one ahead of the previous record of 20 held by Mbappe. He then padded that tally further before full time, first with his own free-kick goal and later with a second assist, this one for Gabriel Jesus, finishing the night with 12 goals and 11 assists for 23 goal involvements in the competition. At 19 years old, Yamal continues to accumulate individual records at a pace few players in the tournament’s history have matched, having also become the third-youngest player ever to score a free kick in Champions League history. 🔵🔴©️ Lamine Yamal wears Barcelona’s captain armband at 19 years old… and scores on free kick.First goal as Barcelona captain. Fifth goal of the season for Lamine in five games. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/9eVXJK8G5K— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 9, 2026 Yamal becomes Barcelona’s youngest-ever captain Yamal added another layer to his historic night by wearing the captain’s armband for the first time in an official match, becoming the youngest player ever to captain Barcelona at 19 years and 58 days old, breaking a record held by Bojan Krkic, who led the team in a 2010 Copa del Rey match at 20 years and 56 days old. The armband wasn’t planned to start the game: first captain Raphinha wore it before being substituted in the 71st minute, while second-in-line Pedri had already been withdrawn in the 63rd, and with Eric Garcia suspended and Frenkie de Jong injured, the responsibility fell to Yamal, the club’s fifth captain option this season.
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