PSG star Neymar sends message to Brazil midfielder after he was left out of the FIFA World Cup squad
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) superstar Neymar sent a message to Philippe Coutinho after he was left out of the 26-man Brazil squad for the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Brazil head coach Tite recently named his 26-man squad for the Qatar World Cup, leaving Coutinho out. It was expected given his recent injury and lack of form for Aston Villa.
The former Barcelona and Liverpool playmaker made an Instagram post, in reply to which PSG's Neymar wrote:
"I love you, ace."
Here's what Coutinho posted on his Instagram handle:
"The World Cup is a dream for any player and despite not being there, I will be in heart and soul cheering like all Brazilians. I'm very grateful to GOD and to the national team staff that I was part of this journey.
"As you all know I've had an injury keeping me off the lawn for a few weeks. I'm passing by here to thank all the positive messages I've been receiving. I see that there are a lot of people who like me, so for these people I leave here my feeling of gratitude.
"With positivity and faith I look forward, focused on recovering in the best way and come back stronger. The difficulties are part, but there are still many good things to happen."
Coutinho has failed to score or assist in 13 matches for Villa this season and is currently nursing a hamstring injury.
PSG forward Neymar to captain Brazil in World Cup
Neymar will lead the Brazilian side in the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Qatar. He will hope to bring the Cup back after a gap of 20 years, especially as they are considered one of the best sides in the tournament.
th World Cup Trophy this year? 
Will Brazil lift their 6️⃣th World Cup Trophy this year? 🏆👀
Here’s Brazil’s squad for #Qatar2022 🇧🇷 https://t.co/KBDmvGHztW
Here is the full list of players Tite has picked for the quadrennial tournament:
Goalkeepers: Alisson (Liverpool), Ederson (Manchester City), Weverton (Palmeiras)
Defenders: Bremer (Juventus), Eder Militao (Real Madrid) Marquinhos (PSG), Thiago Silva (Chelsea), Danilo (Juventus), Daniel Alves (Pumas), Alex Sandro (Juventus), Alex Telles (Sevilla - on loan)
Midfielders: Bruno Guimaraes (Newcastle), Casemiro (Manchester United), Everton Ribeiro (Flamengo), Fabinho (Liverpool), Fred (Manchester United), Lucas Paqueta (West Ham United)
Forwards: Antony (Manchester United), Gabriel Jesus (Arsenal), Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal), Neymar Jr. (PSG), Pedro (Flamengo), Raphinha (Barcelona), Richarlison (Tottenham Hotspur), Rodrygo (Real Madrid), Vinicius Jr. (Real Madrid)