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EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY – JUNE 13: Neymar Jr #10 of Brazil stands for the national anthem before the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group C match between Brazil and Morocco at New York New Jersey Stadium on June 13, 2026 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
Brazil may have to get through the entire World Cup group stage without Neymar.
The 34-year-old forward is not expected to return for Brazil until the knockout stages, ESPN reported, citing sources, as he continues to recover from a grade-two calf injury suffered while playing for Santos on May 17. Neymar has not returned to team training and repeated the medical examination he underwent a week earlier, with the results not yet confirmed by the Brazilian Football Confederation, according to the report.
That is a significant development for Brazil, which already opened Group C with a 1-1 draw against Morocco. Brazil still has matches remaining against Haiti on Friday, June 19, and Scotland on Wednesday, June 24, but ESPN reported that Brazilian media said the team’s medical staff is targeting a Neymar return for the knockout stage rather than either remaining group game.
Neymar was on the bench for Brazil’s opener against Morocco, but he was not dressed in team kit. That already made his status look more complicated than a simple “day-to-day” absence. Now Brazil must prepare as if its most recognizable attacking star is unavailable until the tournament becomes win-or-go-home.
Is Neymar Playing in the 2026 World Cup? His Injury Timeline Has Become a Real Brazil Problem
Neymar’s selection was always a calculated risk for Carlo Ancelotti.
ESPN previously reported that Neymar had been out since May 17 with a right calf issue and that additional testing after he joined Brazil showed a grade-two muscle strain. Ancelotti said at the time that he had no plans to replace Neymar in the 26-man squad and suggested Brazil still expected him to help later in the tournament.
Reuters also reported on June 10 that Neymar remained absent from Brazil training while continuing rehabilitation from the grade-two calf injury and was already certain to miss the opener against Morocco. At that point, there was still no clear indication whether he could appear later in the group stage against Haiti or Scotland.
The ESPN update makes the picture worse for Brazil because it pushes the realistic target beyond the group stage. Even if Neymar is medically cleared later, match fitness is another hurdle. A player who has not trained fully with the squad since before the tournament would likely need to be managed carefully, especially with a soft-tissue injury that can be aggravated by a rushed return.
Ancelotti defended the decision to bring Neymar before the tournament, saying Brazil valued both his technical quality and his presence around the squad. That leadership may still matter, but the competitive question is sharper now: Brazil used one of its roster spots on a player who may not be available until the bracket stage.
Brazil Still Has Work to Do After Morocco Draw
Brazil’s margin for patience is thinner after the draw with Morocco.
A win in the opener would have made Neymar’s absence easier to absorb. Instead, Brazil now enters the Haiti match needing a cleaner attacking performance and a result that restores control of Group C.
Haiti is an underdog, but coach Sebastien Migne made it clear before the tournament that his team was not simply there to participate. Haiti is chasing its first World Cup win and hoping to make history in its first World Cup appearance since 1974.
Scotland also complicated the group by beating Haiti 1-0 in its opener. Scotland topped Group C after that result and Brazil’s draw with Morocco, giving Steve Clarke’s team three points before facing the group’s two highest-profile opponents.
That means Brazil’s final match against Scotland could carry real stakes, not just seeding implications. If Neymar is unavailable for that game too, Brazil will need to solve a potentially tense group-stage finale without the player Ancelotti still clearly hoped could change matches.
Brazil’s Young Attackers Must Carry the Group Stage
The good news for Brazil is that Neymar’s absence does not leave Ancelotti without attacking talent.
Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo, Raphinha and Brazil’s other attacking options give the five-time World Cup champions enough quality to beat Haiti and Scotland without Neymar. But Neymar’s value has never been only about name recognition. When healthy, he gives Brazil another creator between the lines, another set-piece threat and another player comfortable carrying the weight of a tight match.
That matters because tournament soccer often turns on one moment. Against Morocco, Brazil did not create the kind of separation that would make Neymar feel like a luxury. His absence now forces Brazil to be more direct, more balanced and more efficient with the attackers who are actually available.
There is also a long-term risk. If Brazil advances and Neymar returns in the knockout stage, Ancelotti will have to decide whether to use him immediately, bring him off the bench or keep him as an emergency option. None of those choices are simple for a player coming off a calf injury with limited team training.
For now, Brazil’s path is clear. It must get through Haiti and Scotland first. Neymar may still have a role to play in this World Cup, but according to ESPN’s latest reporting, Brazil should not expect that role to begin in Group C.
Erik Anderson is an award-winning sports journalist covering the NBA, MLB and NFL for Heavy.com. He also focuses on the trading card market. His work has appeared in nationally-recognized outlets including The New York Times, Associated Press , USA Today, and ESPN. More about Erik Anderson
