Ancelotti removes Vinicius from Brazil squad for World Cup qualifiers

A surprising but reasonable decision has just been made by the Brazilian team: Vinicius Jr will not participate in the last two matches of the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign in the South American region.

Ancelotti removes Vinicius from Brazil squad for World Cup qualifiers

According to the Brazilian press, the Real Madrid striker was not on the preliminary list sent to FIFA. The reason stems from both disciplinary and strategic factors.

In the 1-0 win over Paraguay, Vinicius received a third yellow card, meaning he will be suspended for the match against Chile on September 4. Taking advantage of this, the Brazilian coaching staff decided to let him sit out the match against Bolivia (September 9 in El Alto) to help the star recover after an overloaded season with more than 60 matches for club and country. In fact, the match against Bolivia will not have any players currently playing in Europe - according to a pre-arranged agreement.

In contrast to Vinicius' absence, two important names returned: Rodrygo and Eder Militao. If Rodrygo regained his form after injury, Militao's return was particularly notable. The Real Madrid centre-back has just recovered from a second cruciate ligament surgery and made his return in a friendly against Tirol (Austria) on August 12.

The official list will be announced on August 25 at an event of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF). The players are expected to join the team from September 1 to prepare for the final two matches.

Having already secured a ticket to the 2026 World Cup, Brazil is no longer under much pressure to perform. However, the decision to rest Vinicius also shows the long-term calculation of coach Carlo Ancelotti: to preserve the fitness of one of the brightest stars, while giving opportunities to other faces before the big tournament.

Source: https://znews.vn/ancelotti-gach-ten-vinicius-khoi-tuyen-brazil-o-vong-loai-world-cup-post1578199.html