Star striker Neymar is giving the Brazil camp a major headache ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026. He's picked up another injury, and everyone knows he's prone to them. Even though he's in the squad, there's a big question mark over whether he'll be fit enough to play.
Brazil vs Egypt: Star striker Neymar will not be playing in Brazil's friendly match against Egypt on Saturday. The reason is simple – his injury hasn't healed yet. Because of this, he won't be travelling with the team to Cleveland. Instead, Neymar will stay back at Brazil's training camp in New Jersey, which is their base for the FIFA World Cup 2026 preparations.
He's nursing a calf muscle injury and is trying to recover there. At 34, this is likely his last shot at the World Cup, which makes this situation even more tense. He's already out of the first match, and there's no guarantee he'll be ready for the next ones. Despite all this uncertainty, Brazil's head coach Carlo Ancelotti has kept him in the final squad. This decision has raised some eyebrows, especially since Chelsea striker João Pedro was left out.
Ancelotti has no regrets about picking Neymar
When asked about picking Neymar, Ancelotti had a sharp reply. "If my grandfather had wheels, he'd think he had a car," he said. "When I picked the squad, Neymar was in the 26-man list. We thought he would be fit before the first World Cup match. If not the first, then he'll be fit for the second. We have no doubt about it. I'm not changing the team. The 26 players who have been selected will play in the World Cup."
Brazil's first match is against Morocco
Brazil's World Cup campaign kicks off against Morocco in the early hours of June 14, Indian time. Their second match is against Haiti, and the final group stage game is against Scotland.
