Carlo Ancelotti confirms Neymar’s date for return to Brazil action
On Saturday, Brazil will make its highly anticipated 2026 FIFA World Cup. Facing Morocco, manager Carlo Ancelotti has his work cut out for him in his competitive debut with Brazil. Ancelotti is not someone who feels pressure, but there’s sure to be at least some nerves.
Heading into the game, one of the main talking points remains Neymar. The legendary Brazilian player has been recovering from a calf injury he’s been dealing with practically since being called up by Ancelotti. Fans are begging to see Neymar in action as soon as possible, and now we know when exactly that might be.
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Unfortunately, Neymar won’t play in the team’s tournament opener against Morocco. Ancelotti confirmed Neymar’s absence for that match during a press conference on Friday. But Ancelotti says Neymar is expected back in full training by next week, which could put him on track to get some minutes against Haiti on Friday, June 19 during Brazil’s second group stage match.
Neymar is working very hard to recover as quickly as possible. The expectation is that he will recover & 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 & the example he can set for the young players in this group.
Ancelotti and his staff may choose to play it safe with Neymar, though. Reincorporating him into the group next week makes it a close one for the Haiti game. The final group match, against Scotland, appears to be a more realistic target. By that point, Neymar should be completely recovered and – ideally – full-go for the team’s knockout stage run.