Published On 5/28/2026
Brazil’s preparations to participate in the FIFA World Cup received bad news yesterday, Wednesday, after Neymar’s absence from the first training session for the national team to undergo medical examinations, leaving his place in the final squad on hold.
The Brazilian Football Confederation confirmed that Neymar (34 years old), who is recovering from an injury to his right calf, did not participate in the closed training session at the federation’s facilities in Granja Comari, and was transferred to a private clinic in Teresópolis to conduct x-ray examinations.
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The Brazilian Federation said in a statement, “No further information will be disclosed until the Brazilian national team’s medical staff completes its evaluations,” but Neymar’s absence quickly became the most prominent event on the second day of Brazil’s preparatory camp for the 2026 World Cup.
Brazil will hold three more training sessions in Granja Comari before facing Panama in a friendly match at the Maracana Stadium on Sunday.
Coach Carlo Ancelotti is already missing three players in that match, with the absence of centre-backs Gabriel and Marquinhos and striker Gabriel Martinelli, who will participate in the Champions League final on Saturday between Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain.
Summoning Neymar, Brazil’s all-time top scorer
Neymar’s summoning last week sparked widespread enthusiasm because he was not part of Ancelotti’s plans during the year the Italian coach spent in charge.
Neymar, Brazil’s all-time top scorer with 79 goals in 128 matches, has not played for Brazil since 2023 when he suffered a severe knee injury against Uruguay in the World Cup qualifiers. His return to the national team came amid questions about his physical fitness and technical level after years of injuries and a disappointing period at Santos.
This year, Neymar scored six goals and provided four assists in 15 matches, as his participation was carefully managed and he did not participate in more than four consecutive matches since returning from another knee surgery last February.
The injury comes at a very sensitive time. After facing Panama, Brazil will play its last friendly match against Egypt in Cleveland, before starting its World Cup campaign against Morocco on June 13 in New Jersey, in Group C, which also includes Haiti and Scotland.
In an interview with Reuters in early May, Ancelotti made it clear that reputation alone would not guarantee Neymar’s place in the squad.
He said that Neymar would not receive any special treatment, and that his place in the squad would depend strictly on his physical fitness and level, and not on emotion.
Brazil is currently awaiting the doctors’ decision, and whether its most famous star will be ready to take center stage next month.
