'He WILL be there!' - Kylian Mbappe makes big Neymar World Cup claim as he urges Carlo Ancelotti to reverse controversial Brazil selection decision

Mbappe has thrown his support behind Neymar as the footballing world continues to question Ancelotti's decision to leave the legendary forward out of the latest Brazil international set-up. Speaking to Globo Esporte ahead of France's friendly against the Selecao, the Real Madrid ace said: "The World Cup is the competition of the stars. All the stars are there, and for me Neymar is one of the greatest. I can't imagine a World Cup without Neymar. But in the end, I can't go against my former coach, Carlo Ancelotti. I have to respect his decision."

When asked if the national team now belongs to Vinicius Jr. or Neymar, Mbappe added: "I think it can belong to both. Vini now needs to take another step with the national team, but Neymar is Neymar. He is a fantastic player."

Despite concerns over Neymar's physical condition, Mbappe remains convinced that the 34-year-old will find a way to feature in North America. The duo spent six years together at Paris Saint-Germain, and the Frenchman believes the bond they formed allows him to see a drive in the Santos superstar that others might be overlooking.

"For me, Neymar is a player who makes a difference. I played with him, I learned a lot from him. We have to see how he is, but I know him: he will be ready, he will be there," Mbappe assured. This confidence mirrors the sentiment of other Brazilian icons like Romario and Ronaldo, who recently hoped that Neymar would be physically well enough to convince Ancelotti of his value.

Despite mounting pressure from the public and media to include Neymar in the World Cup squad, Ancelotti, who took over as Brazil head coach with the goal of ending their long World Cup drought, has remained steadfast in his methodology and squad building.

"I observe everything, I listen to everything. But my role is to make decisions. It's normal that everyone can have an opinion, because football isn't a university... football isn't an exact science. Everyone has their opinion, and I have to respect everyone's opinion," the Italian told reporters.

Looking ahead to the friendly encounter between France and Brazil, Mbappe refused to label Les Bleus as the favourites despite the Selecao's internal selection drama. "You can never be the favourite against a team with five stars on their jersey. It's impossible. Brazil is the greatest power in football. For us, it is an opportunity to show our quality and prepare to win the World Cup 2026," Mbappe concluded.