Carlo Ancelotti, head coach of the Brazil national team, clarified the decision to exclude Real Madrid forward Rodrigo Goes from the ‘Seleção’ squad during the upcoming international break.

Brazil will face Chile and Bolivia in September as part of the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup. The squad notably excludes four Real Madrid players: Rodrigo, Vinicius Junior, Endrick, and Éder Militão, as well as Neymar da Silva.

Ancelotti told the Spanish newspaper AS: “I have great respect for Rodrigo. He performed excellently against Real Oviedo, and it was his first match in a long time, but the most important thing is that the player is fully physically ready before joining the national team.”

The Italian coach added: “The main criterion for selection is physical condition. A player who is not physically ready will not be able to serve the team as required.”

Regarding the lack of direct communication with Rodrigo or Neymar, Ancelotti smiled and said: “I haven’t spoken to them, but if they want to know the details, they can contact me. Rodrigo has my number, and I believe Neymar has it too.”

He concluded by saying: “I am using this period to get to know some new names that I have not dealt with personally before.”