Brasília, JUN 9: Brazil received a boost ahead of the World Cup after the national team confirmed on Monday that Neymar is “recovering well” from the calf injury that has put his participation in the opening stages of the tournament in doubt.
The Brazilian Football Confederation said an MRI scan conducted on Monday showed encouraging progress as the country’s all-time leading scorer continues his recovery.
“He will continue to follow the recovery schedule and fitness programme as planned by the Brazil team medical staff,” the federation said in a statement.
Neymar suffered the injury late last month and has been racing against time to be fit for Brazil’s World Cup opener against Morocco at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Saturday.
The 34-year-old did not train with the rest of the squad on Monday at Brazil’s base, the New York Red Bulls’ training facility west of Manhattan. Instead, he remained indoors and worked in the gym as part of his rehabilitation programme.
Despite concerns over his fitness, Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti remains optimistic about Neymar’s availability. The Italian said last week that the forward should be ready for either Brazil’s first or second match of the tournament and stressed that he was “in no rush” to bring him back.
Neymar, now playing for Santos, has endured an injury-disrupted period and has not represented Brazil since 2023. Fitness problems have also limited his involvement at club level this year, with the forward featuring in only half of Santos’ matches across domestic and continental competitions.
A veteran of Brazil’s last three World Cup campaigns, Neymar’s inclusion in the squad drew some scrutiny given his recent injury record. However, his experience and status as the country’s record goalscorer make him a key figure in Ancelotti’s plans as Brazil seeks a sixth World Cup title.
