Carlo Ancelotti announced a 26-player Brazil squad on Thursday for November friendlies, excluding all players from Flamengo and Palmeiras. The team will face Japan and Singapore at the National Stadium in Singapore on the 14th and 17th respectively, as part of a squad renewal project. The team arrives for these matches in good form, with two wins and a draw in their last three games and currently on a two-game winning run.
"We had the criterion of calling up a maximum of one player from each Brazilian club, with the exception of the two clubs contending for the title," explained Ancelotti. The manager was referring to the CBF's policy to not disrupt the title race in the Brazilian league, leaving out players from the two leading contenders.
The new faces in the squad
The list includes six players from Brazilian clubs: Pedro Morisco (Coritiba), Arthur Dias (Athletico Paranaense), Jonathan Jesus (Cruzeiro), André Luiz (Corinthians), Danilo (Botafogo) and Gabriel Bontempo (Santos). Five of them receive their first senior call-up: Jonathan Jesus, André Luiz, Allan, Marlon Gomes and Alisson Santana. In total, the squad features nine Olympic-age players and fifteen under the age of 23.
The most notable absence is defender Marquinhos, ruled out with a right thigh muscle injury. This is Ancelotti's eighth squad announcement in charge and the second since the 2026 World Cup exit, with an eye on preparing for the 2028 Copa América, which will be held in the United States.
The competitive context
The team arrives for these matches in good form, on an unbeaten run of two wins and a draw. The last victory was a 4-0 win over India in early October, with goals from Estevão, Pedro and a Samuel Lino brace. That 4-0 win over India took place on 3 October. Prior to that, the team beat Australia 4-2 on 29 September and drew 1-1 with the same opponent on 25 September. The next challenge, precisely against Japan, is scheduled for Saturday 14 November in an away fixture.
"More than focusing on the opponent's quality, we have to focus on what we need to do, what we want, the team's renewal project," stated Ancelotti regarding the objectives for these games. Forward Vinícius Júnior, who is the team's top scorer this season with four goals in five appearances, is a cornerstone of this new phase. The squad will now prepare to travel to Singapore, with the first group training session scheduled for next week.
More detail at Folha Esporte
