Brazil Faces Croatia In Ancelotti's Final Test Before World Cup Squad Announcement

Orlando—Brazil and Croatia will meet on Tuesday night at Camping World Stadium in a friendly that feels anything but casual. With only 48 hours remaining until Carlo Ancelotti locks in his 26-man roster for the 2026 World Cup, the 9 p.m. ET kick-off represents the final audition for several Seleção hopefuls and a last look at tactical fine points for the Italian coach.

Ancelotti, overseeing his tenth match and tenth different starting lineup, confirmed Monday that both Marquinhos and Vinícius Júnior have shaken off knocks sustained last week and will start. The defensive anchor missed the 2-1 loss to France in Foxborough, while the Real Madrid winger trained separately over the weekend before receiving medical clearance.

The headline alterations from that France defeat could reach five. Raphinha and Wesley are unavailable through injury, opening the door for Luiz Henrique—whose second-half spark against Les Bleus has earned him a presumed debut from the opening whistle. At right-back, Ibáñez, a natural center-back, will deputize out of necessity, slotting into a 4-2-4 shape that Ancelotti reiterated he will not abandon.

The expected XI: Ederson; Ibáñez, Marquinhos, Léo Pereira, Douglas Santos; Casemiro, Danilo (Botafogo); Luiz Henrique, Matheus Cunha, João Pedro, Vinícius Júnior.

Opposing them is a Croatia side still carrying the momentum of Qatar. The 2022 quarter-finalists—who ended Brazil’s campaign on penalties—arrive on a nine-match unbeaten streak under Zlatko Dalić and qualified for 2026 undefeated through Europe’s qualifying gauntlet (seven wins, one draw). A 2-1 victory over Colombia last Thursday in Los Angeles extended that run.

Luka Modrić, 40, is set to feature against the manager who helped sculpt his Madrid legacy. Ancelotti on Monday called the midfielder “one of the best I have ever coached,” high praise from a coach who already claims his ideal World Cup XI is “decided.” Ivan Perišić and Bayern’s Josip Stanišić are also slated to start.

For Brazil’s fringe figures, the clock is ticking. Young center-back Vitor Reis, a late call-up, will be available off the bench, hoping to muscle his way into the squad announcement slated for May 18. The same urgency applies elsewhere on the depth chart; after Tuesday, only friendlies against Panama (May 31, Maracanã) and Egypt (June 6, United States) remain before the tournament kicks off.

Absent from the entire March window is Neymar. The 34-year-old Santos forward, still on the preliminary list, was not summoned after Ancelotti’s staff watched him sit out a Campeonato Paulista match on March 10 with muscular soreness. The coach cited “fitness concerns,” leaving the veteran’s World Cup status in limbo.

Once the final whistle blows in Orlando, Ancelotti’s focus shifts to trimming the group to 26 names. Brazil opens its 2026 campaign on June 13 against Morocco, followed by group-stage meetings with Haiti (June 19) and Scotland (June 24).

Tuesday night, however, is about answers on the pitch, not paperwork in the office. For a Seleção still smarting from its 2022 shoot-out exit, the opportunity for a symbolic measure of revenge adds an extra layer of intrigue to an already pivotal dress rehearsal.