Neymar He could miss all three of Brazil's group stage matches. Already ruled out of the opening game against Morocco, the number 10 remains sidelined with a right calf injury, and there is still no guarantee he will be available for the following two matches. Brazil will begin their campaign against Morocco on Saturday, June 13, at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. The Seleção will then face Haiti on Saturday, June 20, in Philadelphia, before concluding their group stage against Scotland on Wednesday, June 24, in Miami.
Morocco without Neymar
The first match is already in jeopardy. Neymar has not resumed team training and is continuing his treatment program. For Brazil, the match against Morocco comes too soon. This absence is particularly significant because of his name. On the pitch, Neymar is no longer the dominant player he once was. His last few seasons have been marked by injuries, a long absence from the national team, and a return to Santos that has done little to dispel doubts about his physical condition.
Haiti and Scotland in uncertainty
The problem isn't limited to Morocco. The diagnosed injury requires rest and rehabilitation, with an initial timeframe of two to three weeks. The matches against Haiti and then Scotland remain directly threatened. The schedule is tight: seven days between Morocco and Haiti, then just four days before Scotland. Even with improvement, a rushed return would expose Neymar to the risk of a relapse.
Not necessarily a major sporting loss
Neymar's absence doesn't just change the team technically. More importantly, it reignites a question that has become central in Brazil: is the current Neymar still indispensable from a sporting perspective? Many believe not. At 34, he hasn't had the necessary physical consistency for several seasons. He hasn't played for the Seleção since 2023, and his body no longer allows him to perform at the highest level as he once did. In a squad where Brazil has other attacking options, his absence wouldn't necessarily be the absolute sporting loss it would have represented a few years ago.
A star the country wanted to see again
Neymar may no longer be indispensable to the Brazilian game, but he remains a towering figure for the country. His selection also fulfilled a strong popular expectation. Brazil wanted to see its star back in a World Cup. After years of injuries, doubts, and absence from the national team, Neymar still represented a kind of final, grand appearance in the national jersey. His presence in the squad had created high expectations, even though Carlo Ancelotti had repeatedly stated that his place should depend on his physical condition and form, not his status.
Ancelotti is moving forward with a different equation
Carlo Ancelotti now has to prepare for the start of the tournament with the possibility that Neymar might not play in the group stage. This changes Brazil's image more than its attacking potential. The Seleção loses a symbol, its all-time leading scorer. But it doesn't necessarily lose its best player at the moment. That's the paradox of this situation: from a sporting perspective, Brazil can move forward without Neymar; emotionally, his absence takes away some of what the country still wanted to believe in from the tournament.
