Heartbreaking Joao Pedro family reaction to Brazil World Cup squad announcement goes viral

Despite the immense disappointment of missing the tournament in North America, the eight-cap international displayed immense dignity when addressing his omission publicly. Writing on his social media accounts to comfort his supporters and look ahead, Pedro said: "I tried to give my best at all times. Unfortunately, it wasn’t possible to fulfil this dream of representing my country in a World Cup, but I remain calm and focused, as I always try to be. Joys and frustrations are part of football. From now on, I wish good luck to everyone who is there. I will be just another fan cheering for them to bring the sixth title home."

Ancelotti faced immediate media scrutiny over the inclusion of 34-year-old Neymar, who has not featured internationally since 2023. Defending his controversial tactical decisions regarding both attackers, Ancelotti said: "Of course, we are sad for Joao Pedro. For the season he had in Europe, he probably deserved to be on this list, but unfortunately, with all possible awareness and respect, we chose another player. I feel very sorry for Joao Pedro and all the others.

"We evaluated Neymar throughout the year, and we saw that in this last period he played consistently and improved his physical condition. We think he is an important player, and he will be an important player in this World Cup.

"The evaluation for the whole year was solely based on the physical aspect, we talked about that. It was physical. In the last games, he played consistently. He may have the possibility of improving his physical condition before the first game of the Cup. He has that opportunity. In addition, his experience in this type of competition, and the affection he has for the group, creating a better environment within the group, helping the team, are all important factors."

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