Brazil Begins World Cup Preparations: Friendlies Against France & Croatia | Squad List

The Brazilian national team began preparations in Orlando, Florida, on Monday for upcoming international friendlies against France and Croatia, with 15 players participating in the initial training session at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.

The session saw the participation of goalkeepers Bento, Hugo Souza, and Ederson, defenders Kaiki, Bremer, Danilo, Douglas Santos, Ibañez, Léo Pereira, Marquinhos, and Wesley, midfielders Andrey Santos, Casemiro, Danilo, Fabinho, and Gabriel Sara, and forwards Endrick, Gabriel Martinelli, Igor Thiago, João Pedro, Luiz Henrique, Matheus Cunha, Raphinha, Rayan, and Vinicius Jr. Rayan trained separately from the main group, according to the Brazilian Football Confederation.

The squad has undergone several changes since coach Carlo Ancelotti initially announced the roster on March 16. Hugo Souza replaced Alisson, who was sidelined due to injury, while Kaiki stepped in for Alex Sandro, also due to injury. Gabriel Magalhães was also removed from the squad because of an unspecified injury.

These matches represent a crucial opportunity for Brazil to fine-tune its preparations ahead of the final squad announcement for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The team will face France on March 26 at Gillette Stadium in Boston, followed by a match against Croatia on March 31 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando.

Notably absent from the squad is Neymar, who has been overlooked by Ancelotti despite his return to Santos and expressed desire to compete in the 2026 World Cup. The decision to exclude the veteran forward has sparked debate about his future with the national team, particularly given his recent injury history and inconsistent playing time. Ancelotti has emphasized that only fully fit players will be considered for selection, and reportedly evaluated Neymar in person during a recent match, but the forward was unable to participate due to muscular fatigue.

Several players have earned their first call-ups to the national team, including Cruzeiro left-back Kaiki, who replaced the injured Alex Sandro. Bournemouth winger Rayan and Brentford striker Igor Thiago were also included in the squad for the first time, alongside Flamengo’s Léo Pereira and Galatasaray’s Gabriel Sara.

Brazil faced South Korea and Japan in October and Senegal and Tunisia in November as part of their preparations, and will be looking to continue building momentum against challenging opponents in France, ranked third in the FIFA Men’s World Ranking, and Croatia, ranked 11th.