Chelsea forward Estêvão will miss the 2026 World Cup after being left off the 55-player preliminary list submitted by Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti on Monday, though Neymar was included in the expanded squad, sources told ESPN's Pedro Ivo Almeida.
Estêvão's status for the tournament had been in serious doubt after he suffered a muscle injury to his right thigh during Chelsea's 1-0 Premier League defeat to Manchester United on April 18.
According to sources, there was initial hope that the 19-year-old would be fit for his first World Cup, but medical staff from both Brazil and Chelsea could not guarantee a 100% recovery in time for the tournament.
The player himself was reportedly aware that his participation was unlikely. Sources noted that Estêvão appeared visibly dejected upon arriving at his former club, Palmeiras, to undergo treatment last week.
National teams must submit their 55-man preliminary squad lists to FIFA by May 11. While these lists are not made public, they serve as the exclusive pool from which final 26-man squads must be selected.
Neymar, 34, took a major step in his pursuit of a fourth World Cup appearance this summer as he was included among the forwards on the 55-man list, sources said. Brazil's all-time top scorer with 79 goals had been excluded from every squad since Ancelotti took over the Seleção in June.
Before his injury, Estêvão was considered a certainty for the squad, with Ancelotti a vocal admirer of the Chelsea starlet. The teenager has recorded eight goals in 36 appearances in all competitions since joining Chelsea from Palmeiras for £29 million ($38m) last summer.
Estêvão joins Real Madrid duo Éder Militão and Rodrygo as key players who would have been certain selections for Ancelotti but will now miss the World Cup due to serious injuries.
