Chelsea star Estevao has been left out of Brazil’s 55-man provisional squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Canada, United States and Mexico in June.
National teams must submit their 55-man preliminary squad lists to FIFA by May 11.
While these lists are not made public, they serve as the exclusive pool from which final 26-man squads must be selected.
According to reports, Carlo Ancelotti submitted the list to FIFA on Monday and Estevao was missing while Neymar was included in the list.
Estevao has been out of action since suffering a muscle injury against Manchester United but he was hopeful of being fit for his first World Cup.
He opted to avoid surgery, choosing conservative treatment in Brazil in hopes of returning in time for the World Cup but it looks like the treatment could not help his chances of making it to the tournament.
Estevao’s injury is a major blow for Brazil due to his explosive style of play he was a key member of the team during the World Cup qualifiers.
He has scored five goals for Brazil since making his senior debut in September 2024.
The Chelsea star will join the likes of Eder Miltao and Rodrygo to miss out of the tournament for the Selecao.
While, there is no official confirmation from the Brazilian Football Federation, the news has been a major talking point in the Brazilian media.
However, The team has been boosted by the return of top scorer Neymar for the first time under Carlo Ancelotti.
He has not played for his country since a 2-0 defeat to Uruguay in October 2023 when he suffered a serious knee injury.
Neymar has scored six goals and provided three assists in 13 matches for Santos this season in the Brazilian League.
The former PSG star is targeting his fourth appearance at the World Cup.
The final squad will be announced on May 18.
