Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed that Neymar will miss Brazil’s opening World Cup match against Morocco on Saturday, dealing a significant blow to the five-time champions. The 34-year-old forward has been struggling with a calf injury and has not yet returned to full training with the squad.
Speaking ahead of the Group C fixture in New Jersey, the Brazil manager said Neymar is “working very hard to recover as quickly as possible” but will only begin training with the group next week. That makes him doubtful for Brazil’s second match against Haiti on 20 June, with the group stage concluding against Scotland four days later.
“Neymar will miss Brazil's World Cup opener against Morocco due to a calf injury.”
“When we call up Neymar, we call him not only for his technical quality, which is indisputable, but also for his experience and the example he can set for the young players in this group,” Ancelotti added.
The Selecao’s record goalscorer, with 79 goals in 128 caps—surpassing Pelé’s 77—has not played for his country since 2023 amid a series of injury setbacks. Despite his prolonged absence, Ancelotti selected the Santos forward ahead of Chelsea’s Joao Pedro and Tottenham’s Richarlison for what could be Neymar’s fourth World Cup, having previously featured in 2014, 2018 and 2022.
Brazil face a tough test against Morocco, the first African side to reach a World Cup semi-final four years ago. The match kicks off at 22:30 BST and will be broadcast live on BBC One, BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website.