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Carlo Ancelotti says he doesn't "owe" anyone a place in his Brazil 2026 World Cup squad after once again being asked about Santos star Neymar's prospects. The Brazil icon has repeatedly been left out of recent national squads due to injury issues, but after scoring a hat-trick for his club last time out, speculation over his World Cup place is intensifying. However, the Italian made it clear he will not be pressured into certain picks.

• Neymar was 'Brazil's undisputed star'

  According to two Brazilian greats, Neymar has been an icon for the national team over the past decade or so. He was their standard bearer at their home World Cup in 2014 as they bowed out in the semi-finals to a rampant Germany, but also helped them win gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics. The former Barcelona star was once one of the best players in the world but now he is 33 and has struggled with form and injury in his second spell at boyhood club Santos, although he has come good right at the end of the season for them as they aim to stave off relegation. Indeed, ex-AC Milan ace Cafu says that the forward is not the player he once was.

  He told : "For 15 years, Neymar was Brazil's undisputed star, carrying enormous expectations and responsibility on his own. But no one wins the World Cup alone. Putting all our hopes on him at the moment is difficult because he struggles to even play three games in a row."

  Despite that, 2002 World Cup winner Ronaldo has complete faith in his compatriot. "He's a crucial player for Brazil – there's no one else like Neymar. It's an exaggeration from a minority who believe he's neglecting his physical recovery. Anyone who has been in football knows perfectly how hard it is to come back from an injury and regain rhythm and confidence. He's right on track," he said.

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  Ancelotti fires warning to Brazil stars

  Earlier this week, Ancelotti warned Neymar and Vinicius Junior, who has also struggled with injuries of late, that they need to be at "100%" to make Brazil's World Cup squad. 

  He said: "There are many players who are very good, I need to choose players that are 100%. It's not just Neymar, it could be [Real Madrid forward] Vinicius. If Vinicius is at 90%, I'll call up another player who is at 100%, because it's a team that has a very high level of competence, especially up front. Up front, we have really many good players."

  After Brazil found out they have Scotland, Morocco, and Haiti in their 2026 World Cup group, the Italian was once again asked about Neymar's chances of being involved in the tournament.

  He told reporters on Friday: "If we talk about Neymar, we have to talk about other players. We have to think about Brazil, which can be with Neymar or without Neymar, with other players or without other players. The definitive list we will make after the FIFA date in March. I understand very well that they are very interested in Neymar, I want to clarify that we are in December, the World Cup is in June, I will choose the team that will go to the World Cup in May. If Neymar deserves to be, if he is well, better than someone else, he will play in the World Cup and period. I don't owe anyone a debt."

• Who will be Brazil's next leader?

  Ancelotti was also asked which of his players can inspire Brazil to World Cup glory. The national side is packed with quality players such as Vinicius, Rodrygo, Estevao, Raphinha, and more. Despite all that talent, the former Real Madrid boss gave little away.

  "I can make a list of players who can be protagonists in the World Cup," he said. "It may be that now we don't have a referential player in this sense, but we will have many referential players. I can make a list, we have one of the best goalkeepers in the world, some of the best defenders, top midfielders and some players up front. I said I don't want players who want to be the best in the world, I want players who want to win the Cup. The important thing is not to have referents, but to have players who want to win."

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  Neymar faces uncertain future

  At the end of the season, Neymar is expected to have arthroscopic surgery to address a meniscus injury in his left knee. For now, he is trying to keep Santos in the Brazilian top flight, with Neymar's side currently just outside the relegation zone with one game remaining. After that, though, the veteran – who scored a hat-trick against Juventude this week – doesn't know what lies ahead for him in 2026, with his contract expiring in a matter of weeks.

  He told this week: "I don’t know, honestly. First, I want to finish this season and then think about it. Santos always comes first. I’m very happy for the goals and for helping Santos. We’re happy for the win. There’s one game left, and we have to give our all at Vila again. I always prioritise my health, nothing that would harm my career. It’s [the injury] manageable, something I’ve been dealing with for years. I’m doing everything to reach 100 percent. Scoring the goals today made me really happy. I’ve always been Neymar in every match, regardless of the situation. Sometimes things don’t go as planned because of the team’s form or injuries, but I’ve always shown up. I know what I can do on the pitch and always aim to give my best."

Celtic manager Wilfried Nancy has his work cut out for him at Parkhead after a frustrating first match in charge of the club against Hearts in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday.

A 2-1 defeat to the league leaders proved that the Frenchman has plenty of issues to solve and plenty still to learn about the squad of players that he has at his disposal.

The former Columbus Crew head coach has a big group of players to work with in Glasgow, and there are a number of stars who he should give an opportunity to in the coming weeks.

The rarely-seen Celtic stars Nancy should unleash

Kelechi Iheanacho, for example, was an unused substitute against Hearts after returning from injury, and he should be given a chance to lead the line after Daizen Maeda missed two ‘big chances’, per Sofascore, on Sunday.

The Nigerian centre-forward has scored three goals in eight appearances in all competitions for the Scottish giants this season, per Sofascore, and could emerge as Nancy’s first-choice number nine.

Another rarely-seen star who could benefit from the change in shape to a 3-4-2-1 could be Dane Murray, who has started two league games this season, as he is a naturally right-sided centre-back who can provide balance when playing out from the back.

Auston Trusty played in that role on Sunday, as a left-footed player, and was slow to bring the ball forward and progress the play, as he was on his weaker side, which could open the door for Murray to come in and take that spot.

Colby Donovan was also snubbed in Nancy’s first game, playing zero minutes, but he could emerge as the manager’s own Kieran Tierney in the right wing-back position, having been set to leave in the summer window.

Wilfried Nancy is brewing the next Tierney

The 19-year-old academy graduate was “set to join Dundee on loan for the season”, per journalist Josh McCafferty, in the summer transfer window, before an injury to Alistair Johnston meant that he was needed as a first-team option at Parkhead.

First Impressions

What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast’s ‘First Impressions’ series has everything you need.

Donovan has gone on to play 716 minutes across 12 appearances for the first-team, per Sofascore, since the decision was made to keep him at the club, instead of sending him out on loan, and he has shown real promise.

The Scotland U21 international is looking to follow in Kieran Tierney’s footsteps in Glasgow, as the left-back came through the academy to provide a big threat down the left flank as an attacking full-back.

In his first spell with the club, as shown in the graphic above, the Scotland international provided an eye-catching 37 assists in 170 matches for the club, and Donovan has the potential to provide a similar threat in this new system.

Hyun-jun Yang started at right wing-back against Hearts. However, Nancy could move him over to the left and unleash the academy graduate on the right to provide crosses on that side.

Donovan, as shown in the statistics above, has stood out as one of the most impressive creative right-backs in the Premiership this season under Brendan Rodgers and Martin O’Neill, whilst playing as a right-back.

Playing as a wing-back under Nancy would give him even more opportunities to push forward and show off his creativity in the final third, which could improve his output as a creator and make him a Tierney-esque threat on the right-hand side.

Whilst Johnston is still to return from his injury eventually, unleashing Donovan in this new role could provide him with a chance to nail down a regular starting spot in the team to become the next academy graduate to become a star at Parkhead, like Tierney.

His emergence in the first-team this season, after being set to go out on loan in the summer, is perhaps a lesson that Celtic can learn from, as they could give more opportunities to their academy players to see if they have what it takes to play for the senior side before letting them move on, permanently or on loan.

Worse than Yang: Nancy must bin 3/10 Celtic dud who once had "the X factor"

This Celtic star who had “the X Factor” should be ruthlessly dropped from the starting line-up on Thursday.

By
Dan Emery

3 days ago

CA had earmarked the Ashes to help balance the budget but if short Tests become the theme it may prove difficult

AAP23-Nov-2025Just weeks after forecasting a record year ahead, Cricket Australia is facing a multi-million dollar drain from the rapid-fire two-day Ashes opener.A combination of Travis Head’s all-time Ashes knock and Bazball’s cavalier, reckless approach to batting led to the first game of the blockbuster series in Perth ending late on day two.CA are headed for an estimated loss of more than AU$3 million from ticket revenue for days three and four.Related

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A record 101,514 attended the Test – 51,531 on Friday, then 49,983 – to surpass the record set of 96,463 in Perth last year when India won in four days. Day three was also almost sold out.After his innings Head said: “Feel sorry for the people that can’t come tomorrow. I think it was a full house again.”Speaking before play on Saturday, when Australia’s first innings hadn’t even finished, CA chief executive Todd Green half-joked he was worried about the Test not making it to day three.”It’s difficult for a number of different groups,” Greenberg told SEN when discussing the financial impact of a match finishing early. “Our broadcasters first of all.  Certainly us, on ticket sales and our partners and sponsors. There’s a big economic impact on this series.”At the annual general meeting last month, CA announced a loss of AU$11.3 million and took strong criticism from Cricket Victoria chair Ross Hepburn for the financial performance.The loss took in a summer that included a five-Test tour from goliath India.”In a normal scheduling, you’d have the white-ball cricket as part of that [Test] tour, but that’s being played in this financial year,” CA chair Mike Baird said after the meeting in October. If they were in the same financial year, you would have seen a different position.”We’re in a position where it’s a significant uplift, an over $20 million improvement. Hang on to your hats because next year we are going to have a record year in cricket. You’re going to see the most attendance, the most viewership, the most sponsorship.”Foxtel said their broadcast on Friday was the most watched first day of a first Test in their history The Seven Network also reported strong ratings for their coverage on day one.

Ashes tour represents culmination of English cricket’s Test reboot, amid reasons for optimism unmatched in 15 years

Andrew Miller18-Nov-20252:28

Why England could risk Wood for first Ashes Test in Perth

“You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.”Inigo Montoya, the swashbuckling protagonist of “The Princess Bride”, might have had a thing or two to say about Bazball, and its mad, myriad, interpretations. Three-and-a-half years down the line, it’s about to be pitched into its most meaningful campaign yet, yet it seems no nearer to being granted an official, meaningful definition.Can Bazball work in Australia? It depends who you ask, and which end of the kaleidoscope you happen to be peering down, because this word, and its implications, mean different things to different observers. As last week’s unhinged headlines in the West Australian have already demonstrated, it arguably means more to the hosts who are offended by its existence than it does to the visitors who, to this day, barely acknowledge it to be a thing.Do such semantics even matter? Probably more than you think, given the inimitably immersive nature of an Ashes tour, and the likelihood that off-field narratives will end up fuelling the on-field action.Related

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Ask the average Australian what Bazball means to them, and you’ll doubtless have to wade through a torrent of invective before you get to the nub of their distaste. It means hubris, it means “moral victories”, it means getting antsy about Spirit of Cricket debates. It means getting so high on your own supply that you can gather your troops around you, as Brendon McCullum did after an agonising, agenda-swiping defeat in the opening Test of the 2023 Ashes, and declare with a straight face that it “almost felt like a win”.It’s style over substance, essentially, from an England team that has won none and lost 13 of its last 15 Tests in Australia, and hasn’t beaten a “Big Three” opponent, home or away, since 2018. And it is clearly infuriating, not least to the Aussie old guard, who resent the implication that the sport they perfected 20 years ago is in need of reinvention, or even – as England’s evangelistic narrative has at times implied – rescuing. Adam Gilchrist, by reputation one of the sport’s good guys, has never looked more like an angry old man shouting at clouds than when, in an interview with the Grade Cricketer podcast last month, he was asked if the word wound him up. Reader, it truly does…And yet, the irony is that England themselves have never bought into the Bazbollocks, as it were. When the word was coined on this website, back in May 2022, it was as a prediction, not a reaction. McCullum was then still weeks away from naming his first Test squad, let alone imparting any of the lessons he had learned in his own remarkable playing career. Only one thing was clear: if England were willing to appoint a man of his reputation to take charge of a red-ball squad for the first time in his coaching career, then things were about to get radically different. “Buckle up and get ready for the ride”, as Rob Key even put it in his accompanying press release.And so, as the word gained traction in those heady early months of England’s Test revival, Bazball initially carried as much value as “X” might in an algebraic equation: it was an unknown quantity, awaiting whatever meaning Baz and his acolytes were willing to imbue it with, while at the same time, offering a handy shortcut to spare the media from having to describe “thestyleofTestcricketthat Englandadoptedinthesummerof2022…” in every subsequent mention. Why blurt out a 100-word paragraph when the era’s parameters were so clearly delineated?Bazball on tour: Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum will oversee England’s Ashes tilt•Getty ImagesEngland, however, disowned it from the outset. McCullum declared it “silly”, but seeing as nature abhors a vacuum (and social media loves a Streisand effect) his reaction only encouraged any and every definition to be sucked into the resulting void – including the silliest of the lot, the Collins Dictionary’s induction of Bazball into its official lexicon. Marnus Labuschagne’s verdict was succinct – “garbage” – but the dictionary’s half-arsed definition wasn’t that much more considered: “a style of test [sic] cricket in which the batting side attempts to gain the initiative by playing in a highly aggressive manner.” (As if to demonstrate the depth of thought that had gone into this stunt, “Brendan” McCullum’s name was even misspelt in the accompanying citation.)Such is the back story that fuels the assumption that England’s approach to this Ashes campaign is flawed and frivolous. Several pundits, at home and away, have agreed with the narrative that prevailed during the squad’s build-up at Lilac Hill, that a week spent lolling by a bend in the Swan River, followed by a solitary intra-squad beano on a pudding of a pitch, was no way to prepare for the biggest series of their lifetimes. Further hours spent on the golf course, and on boat trips to Rottnest Island, haven’t exactly dissuaded the local media from their preconceptions.And yet, buried beneath all the froth and indignation, there remains a clear and hard-nosed edge to Bazball that surely sets this series up as England’s most compelling opportunity in Australia for 15 long and gruesome years.For if we rewind to that original premise back in 2022 – that things had got so bad for English cricket that there was no alternative but to do something radically different – then we have to acknowledge that this is it. This – right here, right now – is everything that England’s last Ashes campaign was not, and everything that the past four years has been building towards.The misery, the isolation, the defeatism. All of it can go hang. English cricket touched the void on that dreadful 2021-22 campaign, and for this tour’s five survivors – Ben Stokes, Joe Root, Ollie Pope, Mark Wood and Zak Crawley – simply to soak in the great outdoors this past week has been a step-up from their preparations last time out, given the fetid conditions that they were forced to endure in their Covid bio-bubbles.

“England’s ethos arguably has its roots in the lonely months of lockdown, when the onus fell on the dressing-room to be ceaselessly supportive. But there are also echoes of Eoin Morgan’s attitude during their white-ball revolution ahead of the 2019 World Cup, when errors were accepted, but a slackening of intent was not”

For the others, there’s the sense of a deeply intimate project coming to its culmination. England’s refusal to engage with the Bazball narrative has, in some quarters, been interpreted as aloof and indifferent but it chimes with the precise reasons why their antics have got so far under Australia’s skin. At every step of this journey (and leaving aside the weird performative elements that were echoed in the women’s squad’s dreadful “inspire and entertain” mantra), the gallery to which England has been playing has rarely veered from their own dressing-room balcony.We’ve seen it in the selectors’ unswerving support for its incumbents, most notably Crawley, but also in the senior players’ submission to the wider team ethic – perhaps best epitomised by Root’s use of the scoop shot, including in the first Test of that 2023 Ashes and, infamously, at the pivotal juncture of England’s series loss in India. Despite the criticisms that have accompanied these moments, Root’s stated desire was to muck in, thereby ensuring that the team did not arrive at this Ashes in the same predicament as the last. By the end of the Melbourne Test in December 2021, with England 3-0 down and midway through a run of one Test win in 17, Root’s calendar-year tally of 1708 runs at 61.00 was more than three times higher than any of his team-mates, all of whom seemed deferent to the point of paralysis.It’s helped to create a closed loop of confirmation bias, in which England have judged their own success not by matches won and lost (again, cue the outrage…) but by the enterprise and excellence showcased along the way. It’s an ethos that arguably has its roots in those lonely months of lockdown, when the onus fell on the dressing-room to be ceaselessly supportive, because if they were not, then no-one else was on hand to provide the applause. But there are also echoes of Eoin Morgan’s attitude during England’s white-ball revolution ahead of the 2019 World Cup, when errors were accepted, but a slackening of intent was not.And, just as that four-year revival stemmed from the nadir of the 2015 World Cup and came to fruition four years later, so the same is true of the challenge that awaits this England Test team. They’ve ripped up the methods that failed them on the last three tours – not least in their identification of a coterie of fast bowlers – and tested the limits of their enterprise in a succession of series that, dare one admit it, simply did not matter as much as this one.At the captains’ press conference on the eve of the 2019 World Cup, Virat Kohli tried to goad his opposite number by suggesting the first 500-run ODI total could be in England’s sights in the coming weeks. But, as it transpired, England’s campaign was coloured by a quieter resolve, not least when adversity struck in their mid-tournament wobble. On tougher surfaces than they might have expected from the outset, they channelled their experience and leant into an Alpha status that few England teams before them had ever dared to embrace.Much the same might be expected of Stokes’ men in the coming months. The mistakes and over-reach of the past few years, including (as they might one day admit) in those critical Tests at Edgbaston and Lord’s in 2023, will be forgiven if they can emerge victorious from this campaign. But whether or not England themselves call it Bazball is immaterial: the Barmy Army, 40,000-strong and travelling with an optimism unmatched for 15 years, will doubtless be on hand to sing it for them at the Optus, to the tune of The Cranberries’ “Zombie”.The mere existence of the word, and its implications, already feels a bigger deal for the hosts than their challengers.