Brazil head coach, Carlo Ancelotti, has confirmed that Neymar will miss the Selecao’s opening 2026 FIFA World Cup clash against Morocco on Saturday due to injury concerns.
The 34-year-old forward is still recovering from a calf problem and has yet to resume full training with the squad.
Ancelotti revealed that the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain star is expected to return to team training next week, casting doubt over his participation in Brazil’s second group match against Haiti on June 20.
Brazil will wrap up their group-stage fixtures against Scotland on June 24.
Ancelotti said, “Neymar is working very hard to recover as quickly as possible.
“The expectation is that he will recover and rejoin the group next week. When we call up Neymar, we call him not only for his technical quality, which is indisputable, but also for his experience and the example he can set for the young players in this group.”
The Santos attacker has not featured for Brazil since 2023 as recurring injuries continue to affect his career, but he was still included in the World Cup squad ahead of Chelsea striker Joao Pedro and Tottenham Hotspur forward Richarlison.
Neymar remains Brazil’s all-time leading scorer with 79 goals in 128 appearances, surpassing Pele’s previous record of 77 goals.
If he regains fitness in time, the experienced forward could feature in his fourth FIFA World Cup after representing Brazil at the 2014, 2018 and 2022 editions.
