Surprises and storylines from preliminary World Cup rosters

Brazil: Neymar's unlikely rise

Has anyone in modern soccer had a stranger career than Neymar? The Brazilian attacker was christened the world's best player when he debuted in the early 2010s, and for a while, he lived up to that billing, leading Brazil into its home World Cup in 2014 and becoming a crucial part of Barcelona's "MSN" attacking triumvirate with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.

Quickly, though, things fell apart. Neymar had a rough stint at Paris Saint-Germain marked by personal conflict, then a wildly lucrative but ultimately disappointing two-year sojourn in Saudi Arabia that saw him play just 428 minutes (the equivalent of 4.75 games) in exchange for a nine-figure salary. While his peers excelled on the global stage, Neymar regressed, and when he returned to his childhood club Santos in 2025 it felt like a final concession.

It wasn't. Neymar still isn't consistent, but he's done enough back home in Brazil to catch the eye of national team coach Carlo Ancelotti, and he's on Brazil's preliminary World Cup roster. 

"With most players you need to assess talent and physical condition," Ancelotti said, via Jonathan Wilson of The Guardian. "With Neymar we only need to assess his physical condition because his talent is beyond question."

Argentina: Cristian Romero's good news

It's been a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad season for Tottenham Hotspur, and everyone connected to the club has dealt with what feels like impossible misfortune. None more so than Argentinian defender Cristian Romero, who suffered a painful, season-ending ligament tear in April after colliding with his own teammate.

Romero was inconsolable in the immediate aftermath of the clash; he knew his World Cup future was in doubt. But rest, recovery and a bit of a break from Tottenham's never-ending on-field drama seems to have done Romero a bit of good. He made coach Lionel Scaloni's preliminary World Cup roster despite his injury, and he looks likely to be fit for the tournament after all. 

That's big news for Argentina. Romero was a key part of the country's victorious 2022 squad; it will need him if it hopes to defend its title.

Brazil: no hope for Estevao

Brazilian teenager Estevao has been one of the best young players in the world this season. He's one of just three teenagers in history to score in each of his first three Champions League starts. The others? Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe. That's the kind of company Estevao is already keeping.

Brazil is the winningest nation in World Cup history with five titles to its name, but it hasn't taken home the big prize since 2002. Estevao was predicted to be a major part of its bid to change that, but a hamstring injury he suffered in April has ruled him out of the 2026 tournament altogether. It's a crying shame for a player who looked set to change the game.

The World Cup will kick off on Thursday, Jun. 11, when Mexico takes on South Africa in Mexico City.