Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti has explained why Neymar never made it off the bench during Tuesday’s tense Round of 32 win over Japan, revealing that the Brazilian forward’s introduction depended entirely on how the scoreline stood deep into the second half.
Ancelotti said Neymar had been lined up to enter the FIFA World Cup 2026 clash around the 60-minute mark but only on one condition. Once the match was level, those plans were shelved in favour of keeping the forward fresh for a possible 30 minutes of extra time.
“I talked to Ney (Neymar), if we don’t draw, he’d come on at 60 minutes. Since we drew, I was preserving him for the 30 minutes of extra time,” Ancelotti told the host broadcasters.
Despite being fit enough to feature and included in the matchday squad, Neymar spent the full 90-plus minutes on the sidelines as Brazil scraped past Japan 2-1 on Tuesday (IST).
The result sent Brazil through to the Round of 16, with Gabriel Martinelli scoring a dramatic 95th-minute winner as the team fought back from a first-half deficit.
Japan had taken a surprise lead in the first half through Kaishu Sano, who intercepted a loose ball deep inside his own half before driving forward on a 40-yard solo run and beating Alisson with a powerful finish to make it 1-0.
Speaking after the match, Ancelotti addressed why he chose not to celebrate Brazil’s win wildly on the touchline, saying it came down to respect for how hard Japan had competed.
“People asked me why I didn’t celebrate, but football is also about respect. Yes, we were happy to win, but I looked across and saw a Japanese team that had given absolutely everything. They fought with incredible courage, and I know exactly how painful a defeat like that can be,” he said.
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The Italian coach, who has experienced both triumph and heartbreak across a long managerial career, said qualification itself was satisfaction enough without the need for an outward show of celebration.
“Of course, I celebrated inside because my responsibility is to Brazil and qualifying was our objective. But I’ve been in football for many years, and I’ve experienced both victory and heartbreak. Sometimes the best way to respect your opponent is to remain humble in your biggest moments,” he told host broadcasters.
(With inputs from agencies)
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