Ancelotti names five newcomers in Brazil squad
Rio de Janeiro: Manchester City forward Allan Elias was among five uncapped players named in Brazil’s squad for friendlies against Japan and Singapore.
Other newcomers included in the 26-man squad were Cruzeiro defender Jonathan Jesus, Corinthians midfielder Andre Luiz and Shakhtar Donetsk pair Marlon Gomes and Alisson Santana.
“Each player has their own individual qualities,” Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti told a news conference. “Jonathan Jesus strikes me as a very strong, very fast, aggressive, intelligent center-back. Marlon Gomes has a lot of dynamism. They are footballers with different characteristics, and for us, it is very important to get to know each one better.”
Brazil will meet Japan on November 14 and Singapore three days later. Both matches will be held at the National Stadium in Singapore and will conclude Brazil’s commitments for this year.
The match against Japan will mark the reunion between the two teams after the 2026 FIFA World Cup, while the duel against Singapore will be the first between the two main national teams.
Ancelotti did not call up any players from Flamengo or Palmeiras, which are vying for the Brazilian Serie A title.
He explained that the list of 26 names represents a continuation of the renewal process that the Selecao has been carrying out since the World Cup.
More than focusing on the quality of the opponent, we have to focus on what we have to do, on what we want, the project of renewing the team, of seeking a new generation, this is the ideal moment to do that. We started in the FIFA window in October, we are continuing in this FIFA window, there are young players who may be in the future of the National Team. This call-up is balanced, very young, we have nine players of Olympic age and 15 who are under 23 years old. It is a team very much projected towards the future,” he said.