Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti has provided a significant update on Neymar’s recovery, casting doubt over the star forward’s availability for the Selecao’s opening FIFA World Cup 2026 fixture against Morocco.
Neymar has been sidelined since suffering a grade-two muscle tear in mid-May, an injury that forced him to miss Brazil’s final preparations ahead of the tournament.
The 34-year-old has already sat out the team’s two World Cup warm-up matches, including victories over Panama and Egypt.
Speaking ahead of Brazil’s Group C opener, Ancelotti confirmed that Neymar is making progress but is not yet ready to return to full training.
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“He is working hard to recover as quickly as possible,” Ancelotti said. “We hope he can return to full training next week.”
Notably, Morocco arrive at the tournament with growing confidence after their historic run to the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup 2022.
The clash is also notable as the only group-stage fixture featuring two nations currently ranked inside FIFA’s top 10, with Brazil sixth and Morocco seventh.
While Brazil defeated Morocco 3-0 during the group stage of the 1998 World Cup, the gap between the two nations has narrowed significantly in recent years.
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Neymar last appeared in competitive action on May 17 for Santos in the Brazilian league before sustaining the injury that interrupted his preparations for the World Cup.
Despite the fitness concerns, Ancelotti stressed the importance of Neymar’s presence within the squad, highlighting both his footballing quality and leadership qualities.
“We called him up not only for his football ability, which is indisputable, but also for the experience and example he can give to the younger players in the group,” Ancelotti said.
Should Neymar feature later in the tournament, he would become only the ninth Brazilian player to appear in four FIFA World Cups, joining an elite list that includes legends such as Pele and Ronaldo.
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