Ancelotti confirms Neymar will miss Brazil opener
Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed Neymar will miss the World Cup opener against Morocco on Saturday due to a calf injury.
Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed that Neymar will miss Brazil's opening match of the World Cup against Morocco on Saturday. The 34-year-old has been dealing with a calf injury and has not yet returned to full training.
Manager Ancelotti stated that the former Barcelona and Paris St-Germain forward will start training with the squad next week, making his availability doubtful for Brazil's second game against Haiti on 20 June. Brazil will conclude their group campaign against Scotland on 24 June.
"Neymar is working very hard to recover as quickly as possible," Ancelotti said. "The expectation is that he will recover and rejoin the group next week. When we call up Neymar, we call him not only for his technical quality, which is indisputable, but also for his experience and the example he can set for the young players in this group."
Neymar has not played for the Selecao since 2023 due to injuries but was selected for the World Cup ahead of Chelsea striker Joao Pedro and Tottenham forward Richarlison. He has scored 79 goals in 128 appearances and is Brazil's all-time top scorer, surpassing Pele's record of 77.
The Santos forward could feature in a fourth World Cup, having also represented Brazil in the 2014, 2018, and 2022 tournaments.
