‘You’re not going to the World Cup’: Neymar clashes with Brazilian fan during Santos win over Coritiba
Neymar had an exchange with an opposing fan during the match between Coritiba and Santos in Brazil, with the 2026 World Cup becoming the center of attention. With the 2026 FIFA World Cup less than a month away, speculation continues to grow over whether Neymar will be part of Brazil’s final 26-man roster. During Santos’ latest match against Coritiba, the forward had a brief interaction with a fan in which the topic came up. “You’re not going to the World Cup,” a Coritiba supporter shouted at Neymar during the closing minutes of this week’s match at Couto Pereira Stadium, where Santos earned a 2-0 victory to advance to the sixth round of the Copa do Brasil. The 34-year-old forward, who was leaving the field after being substituted for Gabriel Barbosa in the 84th minute, did not react angrily as he has in previous incidents involving fans. Instead, he responded with a smile: “You’ll be staying at home.” From his past controversies, Neymar has likely learned that getting involved in arguments with supporters — whether opposing fans or even Santos fans, as happened a few weeks ago — is rarely worthwhile. However, the calm way he handled the moment also probably reflects a much more optimistic mindset regarding his chances with Brazil. Neymar respondendo provocações da torcida do Coritiba.Os torcedores estavam gritando “Não vai pra Copa” pic.twitter.com/BCWl1mtFYt— DataFut (@DataFutebol) May 14, 2026 Although there has been no official confirmation, reports indicate Neymar was included in the preliminary 55-man roster submitted to FIFA earlier this week. If true, it would mark the first major sign of confidence from Carlo Ancelotti toward the forward since taking over the national team nearly a year ago, although it obviously does not guarantee him a place in the final squad. Neymar finding strong form with Santos Neymar’s ambition to finish the first half of the season in top condition and reclaim his place with the Brazil national team has pushed him to work intensely to rediscover his best physical and sporting form. And that effort is beginning to pay off. For the first time in more than three years, the forward has been able to play regularly without injury setbacks. In fact, he has started 12 of Santos’ last 18 matches across the Brazilian Serie A, Copa do Brasil and Copa Sudamericana, while also completing the full 90 minutes in most of them. Ancelotti speaks about Neymar With Neymar continuing to improve physically and on the field, the final decision now rests with Carlo Ancelotti. The Italian coach must determine whether Neymar can provide solutions during the World Cup and whether he will be physically capable of handling such a demanding tournament and packed schedule. “Neymar is an important player for this country because of the talent he has always shown,” Ancelotti admitted during a recent interview with Reuters. “But he has had problems and is working hard to recover. He has improved a lot recently and is playing regularly. It is, obviously, not such an easy decision for me. We have to weigh up the pros and cons carefully.”