After the first week of 2026 World Cup action, Brazil is still seeking its first victory in group play. If the tournament’s five-time champion is to pick up three points on Friday against Haiti, it will reportedly have to do so without Neymar.
The 34-year-old is set to miss the group-stage match in Philadelphia with a calf injury, The Athletic reported on Thursday. Neymar didn’t play in Brazil’s Group C opener, either. He sat out the 1-1 draw versus Morocco last week.
Neymar, who notably starred for FC Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain earlier in his career, suffered the injury in the lead-up to the World Cup and was expected to need two to three weeks before he’d be fit to take the pitch again. That timeline was provided by Brazil national team doctor Rodrigo Lasmar on May 28, per The Athletic.
It’s been three weeks since then, however. When Friday rolls around, it will have been 22 days since Lasmar’s comments.
Group C standings
|
W |
T |
L |
GD |
Pts. |
||
|
1 |
Scotland |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
|
2 |
Brazil |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
3 |
Morocco |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
4 |
Haiti |
0 |
0 |
1 |
-1 |
0 |
Neymar has been dealing with a Grade 2 calf injury that was revealed in an MRI, Lasmar told reporters back in May. Initially, the setback was described by Neymar’s current club, Santos, as a “minor calf” issue, as previously reported by The Athletic.
This injury is the latest in Neymar’s career. In the fall of 2023, he tore his left ACL and meniscus while playing for Al Hilal. A month earlier, Neymar surpassed Pelé as the all-time leading goalscorer in Brazil men’s national team history.
But 2023 was the last year Neymar has suited up for Brazil in international competition. Even so, he was selected to be part of the nation’s revered World Cup squad this time around. He has piled up 79 goals in 129 international appearances.
Neymar won’t travel with the team to Philly for Friday’s match, according to The Athletic, which also reported Thursday that he will continue his recovery process in New Jersey.
Brazil will wrap group play with a June 24 match against Scotland in Miami.
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