The 2026 World Cup has not yet kicked off, and Brazil have already been dealt a significant blow in the days leading up to the tournament. With Wesley confirmed out of the competition through injury, head coach Carlo Ancelotti has moved to call up Manchester United’s reported new signing Ederson as his replacement.
Brazil got past Egypt 2-1 in their final pre-tournament friendly, with Endrick scoring the winner, but the mood was dampened by Wesley’s situation. The right back was forced off in the 17th minute, replaced by veteran Danilo, and the following day, after the necessary medical tests were completed, the Brazilian Football Confederation made the news official.
In a statement released on Sunday, the CBF confirmed that “the MRI revealed a muscle injury in the adductor muscle of the left thigh,” expressing sympathy for “a player who is well-liked by the group.” The 22-year-old, who had been set to be the starting right back for Brazil, has been ruled out of what would have been his first World Cup.
Ederson called up to take Wesley’s place
The CBF’s statement concluded with the announcement that Ederson would join the Brazilian delegation in the United States on Monday. The midfielder was one of the more debated omissions when Ancelotti released his final squad list in May, and his unexpected opportunity has now arrived thanks to the unfortunate circumstances surrounding Wesley’s injury.
Ederson Da Silva #24 of Brazil controlling the ball.
As ESPN reported, Manchester United had already reached an agreement with Atalanta to sign Ederson for a fee of $47 million, with up to $5.4 million in performance-related add-ons. Set to fill the role vacated by Casemiro at Old Trafford, the Brazilian midfielder will now also get the chance to make his World Cup debut.
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Who will play right back for Brazil?
Under FIFA’s regulations, when a player is ruled out with injury before the tournament begins, a national team has the option to call up a replacement from the 55-man preliminary list. Ederson’s inclusion, however, raised eyebrows among observers, not because of any doubt about his quality, but because of the positional mismatch it creates.
Ederson is a central midfielder by trade, meaning Ancelotti has chosen not to address Wesley’s absence with a natural right back. Options such as Botafogo’s Vitinho or Vasco da Gama’s Paulo Henrique were available, but the Italian coach instead opted to add further depth in the middle of the park.
Danilo and Wesley of Brazil.
At his post-match press conference, Ancelotti had already outlined his thinking on the right back question before the official decision was made. “Danilo can play in all positions. With Wesley injured, we need him as a right back. (Roger) Ibáñez can also play there, as he did against Panama. For the moment, these are the options for Wesley’s injury. We will wait until tomorrow to make the necessary decision,” he said.
That decision has now been made, and it was Ederson. For the right back role itself, Danilo is expected to serve as the starter, with Roger Ibañez and even Fabinho, who has experience in the position, available as alternatives to cover the right flank of the defense.
