MADRID – 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 per cent 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 per cent,” Ancelotti said according to Reuters.
“It’s not just about Neymar, it could be Vinicius. If Vinicius is at 90 per cent, I will call up another player who is at 100 per cent, 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 March 31.
