Brazil have drawn their last two matches
Brazil all-time top scorer Neymar and Manchester United winger Antony have received international call-ups for the first time since 2023 after manager Dorival Junior named the pair in a provisional 52-man squad for fixtures in March.
Santos striker Neymar has not appeared for the national team since October 2023 because of a knee injury, while Antony could play for the Selecao for the first time since May 2023 after impressing since joining Spanish side Real Betis in January on loan from United, where he had become a peripheral player despite being the club's second-most expensive ever signing.
Fifth-placed Brazil are in 2026 Fifa World Cup Qualifying action against Colombia in Brasilia on March 21 (12.45am) and Argentina on March 26 in Buenos Aires (12am). The top six Conmebol teams reach the finals automatically.
Neymar: Brazil squad recall
Neymar's free-kick in Santos' 2-0 home win over Bragantino on Sunday took the 33-year-old to three goals and three assists in his last four matches for the Brazilian side he rejoined in January after barely featuring for Al Hilal, the Saudi Pro League team he joined from Paris St-Germain for £77.6 million in August 2023.
Still the world's most expensive player thanks to his £200m move from Barcelona to PSG in 2017, Neymar made the switch partly because of his desire to play for Brazil at the World Cup, which will be held in Mexico, the US and Canada.
"Absolutely - yes, yes, I will be back [for Brazil]," Neymar told RMC in December. "I am preparing for it and I am even excited.
"I should have been called up for [World Cup qualifiers in November], but after talking with the coach, he decided not. Next time, I will surely be with my teammates - I am preparing for it, in any case.
"There is nothing better than representing your country. We hope that the team will improve. It is evolving. We must not forget that the team is young, we have potential and we will have to exploit it as quickly as possible so that we can become a great team."
Neymar Brazil stats
Neymar has 128 caps and broke Pele's record by scoring the 78th of his 79 international goals during Brazil's World Cup qualifier against Bolivia in September 2023, but ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament against Uruguay the following month.
After missing two games at the 2022 World Cup with an ankle injury, Neymar produced two goals and one assists but was part of a team knocked out by Croatia in the quarter-finals.
The result ensured he has never played beyond the last eight of the tournament, having been ever-present and contributed two goals and two assists before Brazil were knocked out at that stage by Belgium in 2018.
At his first World Cup in 2014, Neymar finished on four goals and one assist in five games but missed Brazil's 7-1 semi-final defeat to Germany and 3-0 third-placed match loss to the Netherlands through injury.
Antony Brazil stats
Since joining Betis until the end of the season, Antony has rediscovered the form that made the 20-time English champions pay Ajax £86 million for him.
The 25-year-old has started all seven of Betis's fixtures since making the move, contributing three goals and two assists and helping Manuel Pellegrini's team beat reigning champions Real Madrid 2-1 at home in La Liga on Saturday.
United manager Ruben Amorim has suggested the "physical aspect" of English football has been a challenge for the former Ajax wideman.
"When we play against any team here, the physicality is there," Amorim told TNT Sports, via Globo. "Many times, you don't need to create much - just a long ball, a second play and that's it.
"If you don't have the necessary physicality, it will cost you a lot. Antony is much better now in Spain, for example."
Brazil squad 2025: Preliminary list vs Colombia, Argentina
Dorival Junior is not short of attacking options, with the likes of Madrid trio Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo and Endrick and Barcelona's Raphinha to call upon.
Brazil's Premier League contingent includes the likes of Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson, Manchester City counterpart Ederson, Arsenal attacker Gabriel Martinelli and Cityzens winger Savinho.
Goalkeepers
Alisson (Liverpool)
Benedict (Al-Nassr)
Ederson (Man City)
Hugo Souza (Corinthians)
Lucas Perri (Lyon)
Weverton (Palmeiras)
Defenders
Alexsandro (Lille)
Beraldo (Paris St-Germain)
Danilo (Flamengo)
Fabricio Bruno (Cruise)
Gabriel Magalhaes (Arsenal)
Leo Ortiz (Flamengo)
Marquinhos (PSG)
Murillo (Nottingham Forest)
Dodo (Fiorentina)
Abner (Lyon)
Alex Sandro (Flamengo)
Alex Telles (Botafogo)
Douglas Santos (Zenit)
Guilherme Arana (Atletico Mineiro)
Vanderson (Monaco)
Wesley (Flamengo)
Midfielders
Alisson (Sao Paulo)
Andrew (Wolves)
Andreas Pereira (Fulham)
Andrey Santos (Strasbourg)
Bruno Guimaraes (Newcastle)
Ederson (Atalanta)
Gerson (Flamengo)
Joao Gomes (Wolves)
Joelinton (Newcastle)
Lucas Moura (Sao Paulo)
Lucas Paqueta (West Ham)
Matheus Cunha (Wolves)
Neymar Jr (Santos)
Oscar (Sao Paulo)
Forwards
Antony (Betis)
Bruno Henrique (Flamengo)
Endrick (Real Madrid)
Stephen (Palmeiras)
Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal)
Galen (Al-Ahli)
Igor Jesus (Botafogo)
Igor Paixao (Feyenoord)
Joao Pedro (Brighton & Hove Albion)
Luiz Henrique (Zenit)
Raphinha (Barcelona)
Rodrygo (Real Madrid)
Samuel Lino (Atletico Madrid)
Savinho (Man City)
Vinicius Jr (Real Madrid)
Yuri Alberto (Corinthians)
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