Why Richarlison isn't playing for Brazil at the World Cup

Why Richarlison isn’t playing for Brazil at the World Cup originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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Richarlison is one of Brazil’s most well-known current players thanks to his time in the English Premier League with Everton and now Tottenham.

But you won’t see his face in the famous Selecao uniform during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Richarlison is missing in action, and he won’t be showing up at any point during the major tournament.

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Why isn’t Richarlison playing for Brazil?

Simply, Richarlison wasn’t chosen in the squad.

Brazil has always had a large group of forwards and attacking-minded players to choose from, and for the 2026 World Cup, they went in directions other than Richarlison.

One of the toughest selections was the legendary Neymar, who is far from his peak ability but still proved in the end too tough to leave off the roster.

Richarlison had a solid, but not spectacular, season for Spurs as they staved off relegation on the final day. He played in 32 league matches and scored 11 goals with four assists.

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The 29-year old forward is capable of playing down the middle or on a wing, which could’ve raised his appeal for a World Cup roster with versatility, but wasn’t appealing enough in the end.

Given his age, this may have been his last best chance to represent his nation at a World Cup. It’s tough to imagine him getting onto the roster in four years.

Brazil will have plenty of firepower without Richarlison, but it’s a tough break for him to miss out.

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