Cuca sees Neymar’s place in the Brazilian team heading to the World Cup By Thiago Lemos
3 min read
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Coach Cuca stated that Neymar’s call-up for Copa of the 2026 Mundo is underway. The statement came on Wednesday night, right after Santos beat Coritiba 2-0 against Copa from Brasil. The coach highlighted that the number 10 has evolved his playing style to adapt to the current moment in his career.
The Santos commander’s analysis comes at a decisive moment for national football. Carlo Ancelotti will release the final list of 26 called up on May 18th, on Rio of Janeiro. Neymar is a central piece in the planning of Santos and now reinforces its candidacy to compete in the fourth consecutive World Cup. The recent performance at Alvinegro Praiano has increased the optimism of the coaching staff and fans about their presence in the tournament.
O trabalho continua. Pelo #MantoSagrado que defendemos com muito orgulho. Seguimos! ⚪⚫ pic.twitter.com/s7q9STbhKs
— Santos FC (@SantosFC) May 14, 2026
Mudança’s playing style favors Neymar’s tactical adaptation
Neymar no longer has the same physical explosion that characterized him at the beginning of his professional career. Cuca acknowledged that the player changed the way he operates, but highlighted that his technical importance remains high for the group. Segundo the coach, the playmaker now uses intelligence to organize plays and trap the ball when necessary.
The coach detailed the functions that the number 10 can perform under the command of Carlo Ancelotti at Amarelinha. Para Cuca, the athlete’s versatility allows him to act in different sectors of the field without losing effectiveness. Ele listed the main characteristics that make the player indispensable in the current Brazilian football scenario:
- Capacidade serves teammates with decisive passes
- Inteligência tactic to float between defensive lines
- Habilidade to organize the midfield sector
- Experiência in holding the ball and dictating the pace of the match
- Finalização needs it in moments of definition
- Polivalência to play as a winger, central midfielder or false nine
Essa’s reading from the coach suggests that the star has become a facilitator of the collective game. Instead of focusing only on individual long-dribble plays, he now prioritizes positioning and vision of the game. The coach believes that this technical maturity is precisely what Seleção Brasileira needs to seek the world title.
Santos guarantees classification and Neymar has last chance to stamp passport
The 2-0 victory over Coritiba at Estádio Couto Pereira secured Peixe’s place in the round of 16 at Copa at Brasil. Neymar played until the 38th minute of the second half and, although he didn’t score, he actively participated in building the positive result. The match served as the penultimate official test before the official announcement of the CBF squad list.
Santos will have one more appointment before Ancelotti is defined. Next Sunday, the team will face Coritiba again, this time in Vila Belmiro, for Campeonato Brasileiro. Cuca hopes that number 10 will perform another great performance to definitively seal his move to Copa. The coach reiterated that the final decision rests with the CBF, but reinforced his understanding that the star’s presence is necessary for the balance of the squad.
Pré-list of Carlo Ancelotti already includes the name of the Santos number 10 shirt
Informações behind the scenes indicates that Neymar is already on the pre-list sent by the Seleção Brasileira technical committee. Esse document serves as a preliminary signal before the final call-up of the 26 athletes who will travel to the World Cup. The player’s physical and technical recovery trajectory at Santos was closely monitored by the confederation’s performance analysts.
The expectation in CT Rei Pelé is that the announcement in Rio of Janeiro will confirm the attacker’s favoritism. Brasil arrives at the competition with the aim of breaking the title drought and Neymar’s technical leadership is seen as an asset. The atmosphere after qualifying in Copa from Brasil is one of absolute confidence in the star’s potential to represent the country at a high level.
