Ancelotti says Vinicius must be fully fit for Brazil World Cup squad
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Soccer Football - International Friendly - South Korea v Brazil - Seoul World Cup Stadium, Seoul, South Korea - October 10, 2025 Brazil's Vinicius Jr. in action before scoring their fifth goal REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji
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Dec 2 - Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti said Vinicius Jr must be fully fit to make next year’s World Cup squad, reiterating his policy of picking only players who are 100% game-ready.
In October, Ancelotti had sent a similar warning to Neymar saying the Santos forward would need to be fully fit to earn a recall to the squad.
In an interview with the Brazilian sports programme Esporte Record, the Italian said he expects the same standards for every player in his team.
"There are many high-quality players and I need to choose those who are at 100%," Ancelotti said.
"It's not just about Neymar, it could be Vinicius. If Vinicius is at 90%, I will call up another player who is at 100%, because this is a team with a very high level of competitiveness, especially in attack, where we have many excellent players."
Vinicius Jr scored the sole goal when Brazil beat Paraguay 1-0 in June this year to secure their spot for the 2026 World Cup, scheduled from June 11 to July 19 in North America. Brazil will meet France in a warm-up game in Boston during the international window between March 23 and 31. REUTERS
