Brazil Hit With Bad News on Neymar Jr Ahead of World Cup Opener vs Morocco

Brazil will begin its 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign without Neymar Jr. after head coach Carlo Ancelotti confirmed the veteran forward is not yet ready to return from a calf injury.

The five-time world champions open Group D play against Morocco on Friday, with Neymar remaining sidelined after suffering a Grade 2 calf injury shortly after being named to Brazil’s 26-man squad. The injury has prevented the Santos star from participating in training sessions with the rest of the team.

The update comes as Brazil enters the tournament as a favorite to lift the trophy. However, questions remain about when Neymar, Brazil’s all-time leading scorer, will be available to make his first World Cup appearance since returning to the national team setup.

Carlo Ancelotti Confirms Neymar Jr Will Miss Brazil vs Morocco

Speaking ahead of Brazil’s opener, Ancelotti confirmed Neymar will not face Morocco but expressed optimism that the 34-year-old could return to group training soon.

“Neymar is working very hard to recover as quickly as possible,” Ancelotti said. “The expectation is that he can rejoin the group next week.”

Neymar has not trained with the squad since arriving at camp and has not played a competitive match since May 17.

Despite the injury, Ancelotti chose to keep Neymar in the World Cup squad rather than replace him with a fully fit player.

The former Real Madrid manager explained that Neymar’s value extends beyond his on-field contributions.

“When we called up Neymar, we did it not just because of his technical quality, which is undeniable,” Ancelotti said. “But also because of his experience, the example he could represent for the younger players on the team.”

Brazil forward Vinicius Junior also voiced support for his teammate’s recovery.

“I take a lot of inspiration from him,” Vinicius said. “He’s an idol. A lot of the stuff I do is trying to emulate him. We look forward to having him back.”

The injury is another setback for Neymar, who has battled fitness issues in recent years and has not represented Brazil in an official match since 2023.

Neymar Jr’s Group Stage Availability Remains Uncertain

GettyBrazil’s forward Neymar

While Ancelotti expects Neymar to return to training next week, his availability for the remainder of the group stage remains unclear.

Brazilian outlet UOL Esporte reported that Neymar could also miss Brazil’s second group-stage match against Haiti. According to the report, the original recovery timeline for the calf injury was between two and three weeks.

Even if Neymar returns to training, he will need time to rebuild match fitness after nearly a month away from competitive action.

Brazil’s medical staff and coaching staff are expected to take a cautious approach given Neymar’s recent injury history.

His potential return for Brazil’s final group-stage match against Scotland appears more realistic at this stage, although no official timeline has been announced.

Neymar’s inclusion in the squad has been one of the biggest talking points surrounding Brazil’s World Cup preparations. The Santos forward earned his place after showing encouraging form at club level, registering four goals and two assists in eight Serie A appearances before the injury.

Brazil will now look to begin the tournament strongly without their No. 10 against a Morocco side that reached the semifinals of the 2022 World Cup.

Ancelotti emphasized that Brazil remains focused on the challenge ahead.

“There is no clear favourite for this World Cup,” he said. “I believe this World Cup will be very balanced.”

For now, Brazil’s immediate focus is on Morocco. Neymar’s return will have to wait, with the veteran forward continuing his recovery while the Selecao begin their pursuit of a sixth World Cup title.

Debayan Biswas Debayan Biswas is a sports writer at Heavy Sports covering NBA, NFL, Soccer, and Golf. His work has been syndicated on Yahoo Sports, Yardbarker, Flipboard, The Sun News, and The Olympian. Previously, he contributed to Athlon Sports, EssentiallySports, and PFSN. More about Debayan Biswas