Chelsea's Player of the Season Award Consoles Joao Pedro After Ancelotti Snub

Forward Joao Pedro has been named Chelsea's Player of the Season, a day after being omitted from Brazil's squad for the upcoming World Cup in North America by coach Carlo Ancelotti. The 24-year-old Brazilian netted 15 goals and provided 5 assists for the London 'Blues' in the Premier League this campaign, securing 60% of the votes and finishing ahead of Argentine midfielder Enzo Fernandez.

With one week remaining in the season, Chelsea currently sits tenth in the Premier League with 49 points, four points adrift of the Europa League qualification spots and two points behind eighth place, which offers a path to the Conference League, though they have a game in hand on their rivals. However, Joao Pedro will not be traveling to the 2026 World Cup, despite featuring for the 'Seleção' in a significant portion of the tournament's qualifiers over the past two years. The attacking player was left out of the squad, which notably includes 34-year-old Neymar, who hasn't played for Brazil since October 2023.