Neymar is an icon in Brazilian football. He was the prodigal son and became the Brazil national team’s all-time leading scorer with 79 goals. But the 34-year-old striker has not appeared for the national team since tearing his ACL in October 2023, so he was not considered a lock to make Brazil’s 2026 FIFA World Cup roster.
Carlos Ancelotti selected Neymar for the final roster, leaving Neymar in tears. He showed up at Brazil’s training grounds as if he’d never left — arriving by private helicopter — but injury soon haunted him again.
Brazil team doctor Rodrigo Lasmar confirmed Thursday that Neymar has a grade 2 calf strain that puts his status for Brazil’s World Cup opener in jeopardy.
“Neymar arrived at Granja Comary yesterday, underwent all the medical exams, and we finished with an MRI, which identified a grade 2 muscle injury,” Lasmar said, per ESPN. “[He] is continuing treatment, and the expectation is that he will be cleared in two to three weeks.”
Brazil is slated to open against Morocco at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on June 13. Brazil is in Group C with Morocco, Haiti, and Scotland, which is a relatively light draw. That works in Brazil’s favor if Neymar has to miss time, assuming that he’s in fit enough form to make an impact.
Brazil’s five World Cup titles are the most won by any nation in the tournament’s history, but they have not lifted the trophy since 2002. While all of Brazil is starved for another World Cup victory, it feels like it means more than that to Neymar at this stage of his career.
Neymar returned to Santos, his childhood club, in February 2025. At the time, he said, “I love Santos. I have no words to describe what I felt tonight when I stepped again on this pitch.” He’s presumably seeking the same full-circle feeling at the World Cup.