Ronaldo Nazário questions João Pedro’s exclusion from Brazil squad, reigniting debate over World Cup selection strategy

Ronaldo Nazário, the original Ronaldo and one of the greatest strikers to ever lace up boots, has never been shy about speaking his mind. So when Brazil crashed out of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the round of 16, it was only a matter of time before he weighed in on what went wrong. His target: the decision to leave Chelsea forward João Pedro out of the squad entirely.

The critique carries weight. João Pedro put up 15 goals in 35 appearances during the 2025-26 Premier League season and was named Chelsea’s Player of the Season.

The selection controversy

Coach Carlo Ancelotti, who took over the Brazilian national team with the mandate of restoring its former glory, opted for experience and tactical balance when assembling his World Cup roster. That meant seasoned names like Neymar made the cut. João Pedro, with only 8 prior caps for Brazil, did not.

Ronaldo’s position is straightforward. A player with an “outstanding season” at one of the Premier League’s biggest clubs deserved a spot. The round-of-16 exit only amplified the second-guessing.

The squad announcement came around mid-May 2026, shortly before João Pedro learned of his Chelsea Player of the Season honor. That timing created an awkward juxtaposition: a player simultaneously being told he was the best at his club and not good enough for his country.

The Brazilian football crisis in context

Brazil’s struggles on the international stage have been building for years. The 2026 World Cup was supposed to be a reset under Ancelotti, one of the most decorated managers in club football history. A round-of-16 exit is, to put it mildly, not the reset anyone had in mind. For a nation that has won the World Cup five times, anything short of the quarterfinals feels like a crisis.

The debate over João Pedro is really a proxy for a larger question: is the current Brazilian football establishment too conservative? Are decision-makers prioritizing names over numbers? Ronaldo clearly thinks so, and his voice carries enormous weight in Brazilian football circles.

What makes Ronaldo’s criticism particularly compelling is that he’s not some outsider lobbing takes from the cheap seats. He’s a two-time World Cup winner. When he says a player deserved selection, the football world listens.

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