Manchester United forward Matheus Cunha has been omitted from Carlo Ancelotti's latest Brazil squad, providing an unexpected boost for the Premier League club as they look to keep their attacking talisman fully focused on domestic duties.
Cunha's exclusion comes as a surprise given his recent form. The Brazilian featured for his country at the World Cup, where he scored three goals during the group stage, and has started in all three of Manchester United's Premier League fixtures so far this season. Despite that record, he does not feature in Ancelotti's 26-man squad named for Brazil's upcoming friendlies.
The squad has been assembled for a pair of friendly matches in Australia later this month, followed by a fixture against India in Kolkata. These matches mark Brazil's first fixtures since their World Cup campaign ended in disappointing fashion, with the Selecao suffering their earliest exit from the tournament since 1990.
That early elimination was partly attributed to Ancelotti's decision to recall Neymar, Brazil's all-time leading scorer, for the tournament. It was a contentious call at the time, given Neymar had not represented his country since October 2023 due to a serious knee injury. The gamble did not pay off, as Neymar again struggled with fitness issues and played only a limited role in Brazil's World Cup run. Following the tournament, Neymar announced his retirement from international football, closing out a career that saw him score 80 goals in 130 appearances for Brazil.
The headline inclusion in Ancelotti's new squad is the return of Chelsea forward Joao Pedro. The 24-year-old was not initially selected despite an outstanding first season in England, in which he scored 20 goals and provided nine assists across 50 appearances for Chelsea, earning him the club's player of the season award. Joao Pedro has continued his strong form into the new campaign, already scoring twice as part of an in-form Chelsea attacking unit that also features Cole Palmer and record signing Morgan Rogers.
Also recalled is Andrey Santos, Cunha's Manchester United teammate, who missed out on World Cup selection. Santos earns a place in the squad despite having started only once for United since his £50 million move from Chelsea over the summer.
Chelsea winger Estevao returns to the fold as well, having missed the World Cup through a hamstring injury. Arsenal duo Bruno Guimaraes and Gabriel are both included after Guimaraes recovered from a groin problem that had sidelined him.
Elsewhere, there were notable absentees. Gabriel Martinelli and Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker are both left out, with Ancelotti opting for a complete overhaul of the goalkeeping department. Hugo Souza, Pedro Morisco and Otavio all receive call-ups in place of the usual options. Experienced midfielders Casemiro and Fabinho are also missing from the squad, while Brentford striker Igor Thiago has been dropped as well.
For Manchester United, Cunha's non-selection means he will avoid the long-haul travel and fixture congestion that international duty in Australia and India would have brought, allowing him extra time on the training ground as the club continues to build momentum in the early stages of the Premier League season.
Based on reporting from standard-football.