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Ancelotti highlights importance of Man Utd pair Casemiro and Matheus Cunha for Brazil
Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images

Ancelotti highlights importance of Man Utd pair Casemiro and Matheus Cunha for Brazil

Originally posted on HITC  |  By Dale O'Donnell  |  Last updated Nov 5, 2025 10:23 AM ET

Carlo Ancelotti’s latest Brazil squad features a pair of Manchester United players ahead of the November international break.

Manchester United are on a four-match unbeaten run, which means that Ruben Amorim’s team are performing better than they were at the beginning of the season.

The club’s recent improvement is likely to boost their numbers in this month’s international squads.

Back in October, 18 United players were away with their national teams. That group included Paraguay debutant Diego Leon, who will be hoping to receive another call-up this time around.

Brazil regulars Casemiro and Matheus Cunha have both been named in Ancelotti’s squad for upcoming friendlies against Senegal and Tunisia.

Carlo Ancelotti praises Casemiro and Matheus Cunha

Ancelotti relies heavily on both Casemiro and Cunha, and it would be surprising if they weren’t involved at the World Cup next summer.

Cunha has been called up for three of the four squads since Ancelotti took over as Brazil boss, only missing out in September after picking up a muscle injury during United’s 3-2 win over Burnley.


Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images

He registered his second assist for Brazil last month in a 5-0 win against South Korea, while Casemiro played the full 90 minutes in both matches during that window.

Just as he is for United, Casemiro plays a crucial role for Brazil. The midfielder has started every Premier League match so far this season.

Ancelotti named his squad for the November international break on Monday, including former Liverpool midfielder Fabinho. He explained that he wanted another player with a similar profile to Casemiro.

“I want to find a profile that fits Casemiro’s characteristics,” Ancelotti said, as quoted by the Manchester Evening News.

“We have very good midfielders, but with different defensive profiles, and that’s why we called up Fabinho.

“He has the characteristics, the structure, the knowledge of the position and the experience. He is a player who is currently playing and has already played at a very high level in Europe.”

Ancelotti also mentioned his decision to include Tottenham Hotspur striker Richarlison when discussing Cunha’s style of play along with João Pedro and Vitor Roque, who has been linked with Manchester United. “We are evaluating technical criteria,” he added.

Casemiro’s international silverware for Brazil

Casemiro has a single senior trophy to his name with Brazil. The ex-Real Madrid midfielder was part of the squad that lifted the Copa America in 2019.

He also featured in the side that finished as runners-up in the same tournament two years later. During his time with Brazil’s youth teams, Casemiro picked up three more trophies, including the FIFA U20 World Cup in 2011 and South American titles at both U17 and U20 level.

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

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