Brazil forward Neymar is recovering well from a right calf injury sustained on May 17 and could be ready to play Brazil’s opening 2026 World Cup match or their second group match, coach Carlo Ancelotti said [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. Neymar missed recent friendlies against Panama and Egypt due to the injury [1, 2, 3, 5].
The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) took over managing Neymar’s injury after May 27, following initial club reports from Santos that said the injury was minor swelling. However, Brazil’s team later classified it as a grade 2 muscle strain requiring 2-3 more weeks of recovery [1, 2, 3, 4]. Ancelotti said, "He's working well, and he's in good spirits ... We believe he can be ready for the first World Cup match. If he's not ready for the first match, he'll be ready for the second. So we have absolutely no intention of replacing anyone" [1].
Despite limited play under Ancelotti during his one-year tenure, Neymar was named in Brazil’s 26-man World Cup squad, with Ancelotti explaining, "Neymar was called up because, from the coaching staff's point of view, he had to be called up" [2]. Ancelotti has also said, "If my grandad had wheels, he'd be a car. Since I decided on the squad, Neymar was in the 26" [4].
Neymar is Brazil’s all-time leading scorer with 79 goals in 128 caps. He has not played for Brazil since his ACL tear in October 2023 prior to the recent calf injury [1, 2, 3, 5].
Brazil will play Group C matches in the United States from June 11 to July 19, facing Morocco (June 13), Haiti (June 18), and Scotland (June 23) [1, 2, 3, 4]. If Neymar misses the opener against Morocco, Ancelotti expects him to be fit for the Haiti match.
The exact timeline for Neymar’s return depends on his recovery from the calf injury, but the CBF and Brazil’s coaching staff are optimistic about his availability for the early games of the tournament.
