Neymar Injury Scare: Brazil Star Doubtful for World Cup Opener
Last update: May 28, 2026
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Brazil’s biggest name might not make it to the World Cup kick off, and Ancelotti’s gamble is suddenly looking risky.
Brazil fans might have to sweat over Neymar’s fitness a bit longer. The 34-year-old forward is a doubt for the start of the World Cup after picking up a calf injury, national team doctor Rodrigo Lasmar said on Thursday, according to cbinews.tv.
Neymar will need two to three weeks of treatment. That means he’ll definitely miss Brazil’s two pre–World Cup friendlies against Panama and Egypt. But it could also rule him out of their tournament opener against Morocco on 13 June.
An MRI scan “identified a grade two muscle injury, our expectation is that he will be available in two to three weeks,” Lasmar told reporters at Brazil’s pre-tournament training centre just outside Rio de Janeiro.
Neymar linked up with his international teammates on Wednesday but sat out the first training session.
He’s also missed Santos’s last few matches. Club coach Cuca had described it as “a slight injury” at the time.
His call up to Carlo Ancelotti’s 26-man squad was a bit of a surprise. Neymar hadn’t played for Brazil in almost three years. A run of injuries and poor form had kept him out, and Ancelotti even left him out of March friendlies against France and Croatia over fitness concerns.
Still, you can see why Ancelotti took the risk. Neymar is Brazil’s all-time leading goalscorer with 79 goals in 128 appearances. This will be his fourth World Cup.
His last game for the Selecao was back in 2023, in a World Cup qualifier against Uruguay.
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