Carlo Ancelotti has made it clear that Raphinha will stay in Brazil's plans, even with Barcelona worried about another international-break setback. The Brazil coach said his side will call up the players it considers important, and the November schedule includes matches against Japan and Singapore.

Brazil will pick the players it wants

Speaking to barcauniversal.com, Ancelotti said: "We don’t have any specific requests, nor do we need them. During the FIFA dates, we will call up the players we consider important for the Brazilian national team."

He also said Brazil keeps good relations with clubs and shares information about players. On the wider selection picture, he added that Brazil has called up five players from the last World Cup squad for the new cycle, naming Marquinhos, Gabriel Magalhaes, Bruno Guimaraes, Vinicius Junior and Raphinha.

That is the clearest sign of where Brazil stands. Ancelotti is talking about a renewal project, but Raphinha is still part of it, and the call-up is not being framed as negotiable just because Barcelona would prefer a quieter break.

Barcelona's concern comes from the workload

The club's worry is not abstract. Raphinha has started just two games for Barcelona since Sept. 19, and the strain is obvious in the recent output too. He has scored 7 goals in his last five Barcelona matches and is averaging an 8.06 rating across that run.

Barcelona's league position also raises the stakes. They sit first in La Liga with 27 points from 10 matches, have scored 40 and conceded 11, and are trying to protect a three-point lead at the top. That makes every extra trip with Brazil feel expensive, especially when the player in question is producing at such a level.

The disagreement over whether Barcelona made a direct request remains unresolved. Some reporting has suggested concern from the club, while si.com has presented the situation differently, but Ancelotti's public line is simple enough, Brazil will choose the players it considers important.

The immediate focus now shifts to November, when Brazil face Japan and Singapore and Barcelona wait for Raphinha to return without another setback.

Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →