Ancelotti: We need a strong spirit and strong hearts

The head coach of the Brazilian team, Carlo Ancelotti, said that Neymar has significantly improved his physical condition and is ready to spend more time on the field. The Italian specialist also assessed the upcoming match with Japan in the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup. "He's made a lot of progress in the last week. Unfortunately he couldn't play more than 15 minutes before, but now he's feeling well enough to play longer." Ancelotti emphasized that the Japanese national team is one of the strongest opponents of the tournament, so the Brazilians are preparing for this match as if it were the final. "It was interesting to see that Japan is one of the best teams in the world. We have full respect for them and we will prepare for the match as if it is a final, because for us it is a final. We need strong spirits and strong hearts. We have to be ready for anything that can happen in a playoff game, for example, extra time or a penalty shootout. The team is ready, motivated and self-confident. But every match in this tournament is very difficult," the coach concluded. We will remind, at the current world championship in the match of the third round of the group stage against Scotland. For the forward, this World Cup was the fourth in his career.