AC Milan playmaker Kaka and Atletico Mineiro forward Ronaldinho are among the big names to miss out on Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari’s 23-man World Cup squad, unveiled yesterday.
Liverpool midfielders Philipps Coutinho and Lucas Leiva, Sao Paulo’s on-loan Corinthians forward Alexandre Pato and Paris St Germain winger Lucas Moura are also overlooked.
Scolari looks to have kept faith with most of the players who triumphed in last year’s Confederations Cup on home soil.
There is better news for six England-based players, though, with Chelsea quartet David Luiz, Oscar, Willian and Ramires, Manchester City’s Fernandinho and Tottenham’s Paulinho all called up. The Selecao open their Group A campaign against Croatia in Sao Paulo on June 12 before further pool games against Mexico and Cameroon.
BRAZIL SQUAD – Julio Cesar (Toronto), Jefferson (Botafogo), Victor (Gremio); Dani Alves (Barcelona), Maicon (Inter Milan), Marcelo (Real Madrid), Maxwell (Paris St Germain), David Luiz (Chelsea), Thiago Silva (Paris St Germain), Dante (Bayern Munich), Henrique (Napoli); Luiz Gustavo (Wolfsburg), Paulinho (Tottenham), Ramires (Chelsea), Fernandinho (Manchester City), Oscar (Chelsea), Willian (Chelsea), Hernanes (Inter Milan), Bernard (Shakhtar Donetsk); Fred (Fluminense), Neymar (Barcelona), Hulk (Zenit St Petersburg), Jo (Atletico Mineiro).