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When Brazil takes the field Sunday against Panama—the second-to-last warm-up match before the World Cup kicks off in a fortnight—Neymar Jr. will be absent from the squad, leaving supporters waiting even longer for his long-awaited comeback.
The selection of Brazil's record all-time scorer (79 goals) in Carlo Ancelotti's 26-man World Cup squad triggered jubilant celebrations across the nation, as this marks his fourth tournament appearance and almost certainly his final one.
However, Neymar suffered a fresh injury blow this week, diagnosed with a Grade 2 calf strain that will keep him out for "two to three weeks," per the team's medical team. He will also miss the last pre-tournament friendly against Egypt on Saturday, and his availability for the Seleção's World Cup opener against Group C opponents Morocco on June 13 remains uncertain.
The calf problem is merely the latest in a long series of physical troubles that have haunted Neymar's international career. The 34-year-old has not pulled on the famous canary yellow since October 2023, having suffered an ACL tear shortly after that effectively ended his regular involvement with the national side.
More recently, he underwent arthroscopic knee surgery in December, which kept him on the sidelines until February and caused him to miss the opening 12 games of the season for club side Santos. Consequently, Brazil boss Ancelotti left him out of the March international window, judging him not yet fit enough.
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Squads are permitted to make injury-related substitutions up to 24 hours before their opening World Cup fixture; nevertheless, Ancelotti has made clear he has no intention of altering Brazil's roster and confirmed that Neymar's place is secure.
"We're counting on Neymar for the first World Cup game against Morocco; if he isn't ready, we'll wait for the second match," Ancelotti stated at a press conference on Saturday. "We are not replacing anyone; the selected players are these 26, and these 26 will be at the World Cup."
While Neymar's spot on the roster is guaranteed—and star attacker Vinicius Jr. has handed him the iconic No. 10 shirt—his place in the starting eleven remains very much up in the air.
Ancelotti reportedly had a candid and direct conversation with Neymar before finalizing the squad, informing the former FC Barcelona icon that he would neither be captain nor assured of a starting role. Neymar is said to have responded with genuine willingness to accept any role that benefits the team, an attitude that convinced Ancelotti to include him over 24-year-old Chelsea striker João Pedro.
Should Neymar fail to recover in time to face Morocco at MetLife Stadium, he will be targeting the clash against Haiti on June 19 at Lincoln Financial Field. Brazil wrap up their group stage campaign against Scotland on June 24 at Hard Rock Stadium.