- Neymar Suffers Minor Calf Injury but Brazil Expect Forward in World Cup Camp
Neymar’s preparations for a fourth FIFA World Cup have suffered a minor setback after the Brazil forward picked up a calf injury, but Santos medical officials expect him to recover in time to join the national team camp next week.
The 34-year-old sustained what Santos described as a minor calf injury, diagnosed as an oedema, just days after being named in Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil squad for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
“Neymar has a minor calf injury, an oedema,” Santos’ head of medical services Rodrigo Zogaib told Brazil’s ge.globo. “But, according to our planning, his progress will allow him to be fit next week when he will join up with the national team.”
The injury forced Neymar to miss Santos’ 2-2 draw with San Lorenzo in the Copa Sudamericana on Wednesday, adding another fitness concern to a player whose recent career has been repeatedly interrupted by injury.
Neymar was named in Brazil’s World Cup squad on Monday, marking his return to the national team picture after missing much of the qualifying campaign through injury. Ancelotti, who took charge of Brazil last year, had not previously recalled the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain forward before selecting him for the tournament
The Santos attacker remains Brazil’s all-time leading scorer with 79 goals in 128 appearances, but he has not played for the national team since 2023. His spell at Al-Hilal was disrupted by injuries, and since returning to his boyhood club Santos, he has continued to face questions over match sharpness and durability.
For Brazil, Neymar’s inclusion is both a football decision and an emotional gamble. At his best, he remains one of the few players capable of unlocking elite defences in decisive moments. But his fitness record means Ancelotti and Brazil’s medical team will have to manage him carefully in the build-up to the tournament.
The 2026 World Cup kicks off on June 11, with Brazil set to open their campaign against Morocco on June 13 in New Jersey. Haiti and Scotland complete Group C. Before the tournament begins, Brazil are scheduled to play warm-up matches against Panama on May 31 and Egypt.
Neymar’s latest injury scare is not expected to derail his World Cup participation, but it underlines the delicate balance Brazil must strike. They need his creativity, experience and personality, yet they also need him fit enough to survive the physical demands of a month-long tournament.
For Neymar, the tournament offers what could be one final chance to lead Brazil to the world title that has eluded him throughout his career. For Brazil, the hope is that this latest setback remains only a brief interruption not another chapter in the injury story that has so often shadowed their most gifted modern attacker.
