▲ © Igor Thiago SNS
[SPOTV News — Reporter Shin In-seop] For some players, a World Cup call-up became the happiest moment of their lives.
On the 19th (Korean time), head coach Carlo Ancelotti revealed Brazil’s final 26-man roster for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America (United States, Canada, Mexico).
The Samba Army’s path to the tournament was far from smooth. Brazil struggled in CONMEBOL qualifying and ultimately secured a spot in fifth place. After a run of disappointing results, Ancelotti took charge with four matches remaining and guided the team to a dramatic qualification.
Brazil sharpened up through a series of intercontinental friendlies. They thumped South Korea 5-0, fell 2-3 to Japan, then beat Senegal 2-0 and drew 1-1 with Tunisia. In March, they faced European foes in final tune-ups, losing 1-2 to France and beating Croatia 3-1.
Drawn into Group C at the North American World Cup, Brazil will face Morocco, Haiti and Scotland as they battle for a spot in the knockout rounds. Since lifting the trophy in 2002, Brazil has exited in the quarterfinals in four of the last five tournaments, reaching the semifinals only in 2014 on home soil. Expectations this time are to push at least into the final four.
Ancelotti’s selection is packed with stars: Vinícius Júnior (Real Madrid), Matheus Cunha (Manchester United), Raphinha (Barcelona), Bruno Guimarães (Newcastle), Casemiro (Manchester United), Gabriel Magalhães (Arsenal), Marquinhos (PSG) and Alisson Becker (Liverpool) are among the core names included.
There were a couple of surprises. Neymar returns to the national team for the first time since October 2023 — roughly two years and eight months out. His experience and form proved decisive. Ancelotti explained, “We spent a year analyzing Neymar. He has been performing consistently and is in good physical condition.”
Another unexpected call-up went to Igor Thiago. The Brentford forward has emerged as one of the Premier League’s breakthrough strikers this season. Signed in the summer of 2024 as a replacement for Ivan Toney, he suffered a meniscus injury that sidelined him and limited him to just eight appearances in his first season.
Igor produced a stunning turnaround this campaign. He opened the season by scoring in the first game and kept finding the net consistently. In January he notched his first Premier League hat trick against Everton. Across 37 appearances this season, he finished with 22 goals.
That form earned him a call-up from Ancelotti in March. He featured in friendlies against France and Croatia and netted his first senior international goal against Croatia.
Igor made the final 26-man World Cup roster — a true comeback story. He lost his father in 2014 at age 13. From a young age he helped support his family: at 14 he worked as a bricklayer and later sold fruit at the market to make ends meet.
Despite those hardships, he never gave up on his dream of playing football, though challenges continued. In 2021 he went through a deep period of depression.
He fought his way back. In 2022 he signed with Bulgaria’s Ludogorets Razgrad and took his first steps in Europe. Even after the 2024 meniscus injury cost him significant time, he refused to quit.
In 2025 he joined Brentford and broke into the Premier League. In 2026, Ancelotti rewarded his resilience by naming him to Brazil’s World Cup squad.
His family was overcome with emotion when the call-up was announced. Igor watched the squad reveal live on his personal social media with his relatives, and when his name was read they embraced and celebrated the moment together.
Reflecting on the achievement, Igor said, “As a child the dream felt so far away. I grew up in Cidade Ocidental, Goiás, a boy full of dreams and grit. Today that dream is real, and I’m incredibly proud to represent my country on this stage.”
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