World Cup Scare: Neymar to miss three weeks with Brazil due to calf injury

Neymar, with the Brazilian national team ahead of the 2026 World Cup, was diagnosed with a grade II muscle injury in the calf region and will be sidelined for “two to three weeks,” the CBF reported this Thursday.

Neymar will miss the team’s preparatory friendlies for the World Cup and could miss his debut against Morocco. This was the prognosis given by the CBF doctor, Rodrigo Lasmar, in a statement made this Thursday in Teresópolis. Before Casemiro and Weverton’s press conferences, Lasmar spoke about the situation of the Santos forward.

‘”Yesterday Neymar underwent all the medical tests, which concluded with an MRI scan that revealed a grade two calf injury, not just edema. He is expected to recover in two or three weeks“, said the doctor. ‘

The diagnosis after the examinations is different from the one Santos presented to the CBF before the call. São Paulo team doctor Rodrigo Zogaib had stated that Neymar’s problem was only edema, and that the star would report to the national team fit to begin training on the 27th, which did not happen.

If the optimistic forecast of a two-week absence is confirmed, Neymar would be available again on June 11, two days before Brazil’s World Cup debut, against Morocco, on June 13. The second round is against Haiti, on the 19th.

Neymar’s presence on Ancelotti’s list came as quite a surprise, since the Italian coach had never called him up since taking charge of the Canarinha in May 2025. However, “Carletto” ultimately chose to summon him after observing his physical progress in recent months and after he had managed to gain some continuity wearing the Santos shirt.