The 34-year-old forward, who was included in Brazil’s final World Cup squad despite fitness concerns, has failed to recover in time for the highly anticipated clash against the Atlas Lions. Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti confirmed the news during his pre-match press conference, revealing that Neymar remains in rehabilitation and is not yet ready to return to competitive action.
Neymar has not participated in full team training since Brazil’s pre-tournament preparations began, with medical staff continuing to monitor his recovery from a Grade 2 calf strain sustained while playing for Santos before the tournament. The injury also forced him to miss Brazil’s warm-up matches ahead of the World Cup.
Speaking about the situation, Ancelotti remained optimistic but cautious regarding the veteran forward’s return.
“We hope he can return to full training next week,” the Brazilian coach stated, while emphasizing that Neymar’s experience remains valuable to the squad even while sidelined.
The update has raised fresh concerns over Neymar’s availability for the remainder of the group stage. Reports suggest the former FC Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain star could miss additional matches against Haiti and Scotland if his recovery progresses slower than expected.
Despite Neymar’s absence, Brazil remain one of the favourites to challenge for the World Cup title under Ancelotti’s leadership. The Italian tactician has expressed confidence in the depth and quality of his squad as the five-time world champions seek to end their 24-year wait for another World Cup crown.
The opening encounter against Morocco is expected to be one of the most competitive fixtures of the group stage, with Morocco entering the tournament as one of Africa’s strongest representatives following their historic run to the semi-finals in the previous World Cup.
For now, all eyes will remain on Neymar’s recovery timeline as Brazil hopes its all-time leading goalscorer can return later in the tournament and play a decisive role in their quest for a sixth FIFA World Cup title.