Worries about Brazil’s superstar
Neymar is threatened with failure at the start of the World Cup
May 28, 2026 – 5:18 p.mReading time: 1 min.
An examination during the training camp shows that Neymar is more seriously injured than initially diagnosed by his club. The start of the World Cup is therefore in danger for him.
Brazil’s soccer star Neymar is out with a second-degree muscle injury in his calf. This was revealed by an MRI scan at the Seleção’s training camp – and thus contradicts the original diagnosis of his club FC Santos, which only found edema.
CBF doctor Rodrigo Lasmar said after the examinations: “The expectation is that he will be released again in two to three weeks.” In the best case scenario, Neymar would only be ready for action two days before Brazil’s World Cup opener against Morocco on June 14th.
The 34-year-old missed both test matches before the World Cup: Brazil will face Panama at the Maracana Stadium on Sunday and Egypt in Cleveland on June 7th.
Neymar last played for Brazil in 2023
The injury hits Brazil at a delicate time. National coach Carlo Ancelotti recently called Neymar back into the World Cup squad after a long break. In March, the Italian decided not to be nominated due to fitness doubts. When announcing the squad, Ancelotti highlighted the attacking player as an important factor for the team.
Neymar’s last international match was more than two and a half years ago. In October 2023, he suffered a torn cruciate ligament during the World Cup qualifier against Uruguay. Since then, the former FC Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain professional has repeatedly struggled with injuries. At the beginning of 2025, he returned to his hometown club FC Santos from the Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal SFC.
