 (2).png)
1 day ago
3
ARTICLE AD BOX
Head coach Carlo Anclotti will have his task cut out as Brazil take on Morocco in their Group C campaign opener at the FIFA World Cup 2026 on the wee hours of Sunday. While Brazil are a five-time champions, Morocco showed the entire world about their capability when they became the first African national in 2022 in Qatar to make it to the semifinals.
Ahead of the highly-anticipated game, the major taking point is the availability of Neymar, who broke into the 26-man roster despite carrying an injury. The former Barcelona star is carrying a calf problem and is understood to not have started training in full tilt.
However, dashing all hopes of Neymar's fans globally, Ancelotti confirmed that the 34-year-old will be warming the bench when Brazil take the field at the New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford. The development came when Ancelotti broke the news at the pre-match presser.
“Neymar is working very hard to recover as quickly as possible. 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,” Ancelotti told reporters.
When will Neymar return to full training?
According to Ancelotti, Neymar will return to full training next week. If all goes well, the Brazil superstar might get some minutes under his belt against Haiti on June 19 during Brazil's second group-stage game. It is pretty much certain that the Brazil think-tank are playing it safe with Neymar, who has a history of injuries previously at World Cups.
The best chance for Neymar in the starting XI looks to be against Scotland in Brazil's final group game on June 25. By that time, Neymar should completely recover and ready for a full-go in the knockout stages.
Who will replace Neymar at Brazil's starting XI?
English (US) ·