Neymar Confirmed to Stay in Brazil’s World Cup Squad Despite Injury Setback
Neymar‘s World Cup place was never guaranteed after he went down with a grade-two right calf injury just ten days into Brazil‘s tournament camp. The damage showed up during a Santos club appearance against Coritiba on May 17 and further evaluations at Brazil’s Granja Comary training base confirmed it was more serious than the club initially let on.
Brazil national team doctor Rodrigo Lasmar delivered the official diagnosis and the recovery timeline of two to three weeks, which put everything in question. The injury ruled him out of warm-up friendlies against Panama and Egypt and cast real doubt over his availability for the Group C opener against Morocco on June 13 at MetLife Stadium.
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Carlo Ancelotti had already spoken to him directly, and Neymar was said to be willing to contribute in whatever capacity the team needed. The June 6 friendly against Egypt was set as the internal deadline to determine whether he would stay in the squad or be replaced.
Brazil forward Neymar (10) against Serbia during the 2022 World Cup.Yukihito Taguchi-Imagn Images
That decision has now been made.
Carlo Ancelotti Confirms Neymar Stays in Brazil’s World Cup Squad
According to Fabrizio Romano, Neymar will not be replaced and remains part of Brazil’s 26-man roster for the World Cup. Ancelotti put any remaining speculation to rest with a direct statement on where things stand.
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“We expect Neymar to be back in the first game vs Morocco or eventually on the following game,” Ancelotti said. “We will NOT change anyone. The chosen players are these and I don’t change plans. All these 26 will play the World Cup.”
It’s a show of faith from the head coach in a player who has dealt with more than his share of injury setbacks in recent years. Ancelotti isn’t just keeping Neymar around for morale. He’s counting on him to play.
The belief makes sense when you consider what Neymar has meant to this team historically. He’s Brazil’s all-time leading scorer in official FIFA history with 79 goals across 128 international caps.
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He delivered a Confederations Cup in 2013 and an Olympic gold medal on home soil in Rio in 2016. Across three World Cup appearances he scored eight goals and remained the engine of everything Brazil built going forward.
Brazil open their World Cup campaign against Morocco on June 13. If Ancelotti’s timeline holds, Neymar will be on that pitch.
Related: Julian Alvarez’s Past Comments on Lionel Messi Resurface Ahead of 2026 World Cup
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on May 30, 2026, where it first appeared in the Soccer section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.