Neymar's participation in the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup is halted due to a new injury scare. The forward suffered a bruised right calf while playing for his club, Santos FC, during a match against Coritiba on May 17. CBF doctor Rodrigo Lasmar confirmed that Neymar will require around two to three weeks of recovery, dealing a major setback to Brazil ahead of the tournament.
"Neymar reported for duty yesterday here at Granja Comary and underwent all the medical tests, which concluded with an MRI scan revealing a grade-two calf injury, not just swelling. He is expected to be cleared in two to three weeks," Lasmar said, as quoted by Reuters.
As a result, Brazil's all-time leading scorer will miss the friendly against Panama at the MaracanĂ£ and the following fixture against Egypt in Cleveland. He is also highly unlikely to feature in Brazil's World Cup opener against African champions Morocco on June 13 in New Jersey.
All-time leading scorer with 79 goals in 128 appearances, Neymar has not played for his country since 2023. His recurring injuries have been a source of frustration for the Brazilian team. Previous physical setbacks have resulted in public displays of distress, including the infamous PSG incident when he cried for two days after breaking a metatarsal bone in his right foot.
In October 2023, while playing for Brazil against Uruguay, Neymar tore his ACL and meniscus. This sidelined him completely from the national team and severely limited his club appearances after moving to Saudi club Al-Hilal.
On Tuesday, Neymar appeared unconcerned about his fitness when asked about the injury after attending Santos' 3-0 Copa Sudamericana win over Deportivo Cuenca at Vila Belmiro, responding, "What problem?"
This will be his fourth and likely final FIFA World Cup appearance, and he will be eyeing his first-ever World Cup trophy. In 2014, Brazil finished fourth, while it faced quarterfinal exits in the next two tournaments.
Carlo Ancelotti had omitted Neymar from his previous call-ups, repeatedly stressing that only players with 100 per cent physical capacity would be considered.
