Neymar, Messi set to clash as Brazil names 24-man squad for Argentina tilt
Barcelona stars Neymar and Lionel Messi are set to do battle against one another on the international stage, after Brazil manager Tite named his 24-man squad for a pair of upcoming World Cup qualifying matches in November.
Brazil, currently first, will host a struggling Argentina (currently fifth) at Belo Horizonte on Nov. 10 in a rivalry match that could have sweeping ramifications in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying.
It is a match that has deep roots in South American football, with lines drawn very clearly in the sand and the bitterness of rivalry on full offer in both countries.
As such, it is a match that manager Tite is not taking lightly.
"I haven't slept worrying about the match against Argentina," Tite said, according to ESPN FC. "Against them, it is a championship match. The game has even more weight because it is a 'clasico.'
"We are not going to run away. For us, the most important thing is to consolidate the current level of performance of our team because we have been getting good results over and above any consistency."
Neymar isn't the only Brazil star in the 24-man squad. Paris Saint-Germain defender Thiago Silva is paired with Juventus full-back Dani Alves and Real Madrid man Marcelo on either side, and Chelsea winger Willian and Liverpool attackers Roberto Firmino and Philippe Coutinho are anchored by Casemiro and Manchester City's Fernandinho in midfield.
However, all eyes will be on the titan clash of Neymar and Messi, with the latter presumably set to return to the Argentina fold after recovering from various muscle injuries in the past few months.
After the Argentina match, Brazil heads to Peru on Nov. 16 for its final World Cup qualifying fixture of 2016.
The full squad:
Goalkeepers: Alisson (AS Roma), Weverton (Atletico Paranaense), Alex Muralha (Flamengo)
Defenders: Dani Alves (Juventus), Fagner (Corinthians), Filipe Luis (Atletico Madrid), Marcelo (Real Madrid), Gil (Shandong Luneng), Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain), Miranda (Internazionale), Thiago Silva (PSG), Rodrigo Caio (Sao Paolo)
Midfielders: Casemiro (Real Madrid), Fernandinho (Manchester City), Guiliano (Zenit St. Petersburg), Lucas Lima (Santos), Paulinho (Guangzhou Evergrande), Philippe Coutinho (Liverpool), Renato Augusto (Beijing Guoan), Willian (Chelsea)
Forwards: Roberto Firmino (Liverpool), Gabriel Jesus (Palmeiras), Douglas Costa (Bayern Munich), Neymar (Barcelona)