Neymar returns to Brazil's provisional squad

The 33-year-old, who recently returned to Santos after a brief spell in Saudi Arabia, is the standout inclusion in Brazil's provisional squad for the March World Cup qualifiers against Colombia and Argentina, as confirmed by the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) on Friday.

Other notable names in the provisional list include Antony (Real Betis), Endrick (Real Madrid), and Samuel Lino (Atletico Madrid), alongside two familiar faces: Lucas Moura and Oscar (Sao Paulo).

Neymar has not featured for Brazil since October 2023, when he suffered an anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus injury to his left knee during a World Cup qualifying match against Uruguay in Montevideo.

After spending his first month back at Santos, Neymar has stated that he feels "physically better" and "more fluid" and is hopeful of returning to the national team soon.

"It has always been a great honour for me to represent the national team," Neymar said on Sunday after scoring the first Olympic goal of his career in a 3-0 victory over Inter de Limeira.

The preliminary squad released by the CBF on Friday also includes several regulars such as Marquinhos (PSG), Bruno Guimaraes (Newcastle), Raphinha (Barcelona), and Real Madrid's Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior.

Brazil will face Colombia in Brasília on March 20, followed by the reigning world champions, Argentina, in Buenos Aires five days later.