Mbappe: Unthinkable to imagine 2026 World Cup without Neymar

JAKARTA - France National Team (Timnas) star Kylian Mbappe can't imagine his former teammate at Paris Saint-Germain, Neymar, missing out on the 2026 World Cup.

Injuries have kept Neymar, Brazil's all-time leading scorer, out of his country's side since October 2023.

He is racing against time to recover in time to play in his fourth World Cup this summer.

"The World Cup is a competition for stars. All the stars are here. In my opinion, Neymar is one of the biggest stars."

"I can't imagine the 2026 World Cup without Neymar. However, in the end, I can't go against my former coach, (Carlo) Ancelotti. I have to respect his decision," said Mbappe.

However, Mbappe further did not want to differentiate between the Brazil national team led by Neymar or now with Vinicius Junior, his teammate at Real Madrid.

"Vini now needs to go further with the Brazilian national team, but Neymar is Neymar. Neymar is a fantastic player," said Mbappe.

Meanwhile, Vinicius supports Neymar to recover and be ready to play in the 2026 World Cup.

"The pressure on Ney is normal. I'm biased, Ney is one of my idols. He's doing everything to recover 100%, to return to the Brazilian national team."

"Now, the decision is in the hands of the coach. However, we players always want to play with the best," said Vinicius.

Vinicius has joined the debate on whether Ancelotti should bring Neymar even though the player is not in the best of shape.

Asked about the ongoing debate over Neymar's absence, Ancelotti had his own answer.

"I observe everything, I listen to everything. However, my role is to make decisions. It is normal for everyone to have an opinion because football is not a science."

"Everyone has their own opinion and I have to respect everyone's opinion," said Ancelotti.

Vinicius led Brazil's attack in two friendly matches in the FIFA Matchday in March 2026 against France and Croatia.

Unfortunately, Ancelotti's squad lost 1-2 against Les Bleus on Friday, March 27, 2026, early morning WIB. Next, they will face Croatia on April 1, 2026 WIB in the United States.

Ancelotti will announce the 2026 World Cup squad on May 18, he confirmed. That means Neymar still has a chance to make the squad as long as the Santos striker is 100 percent fit.