Brazil sorely missed Neymar on Saturday when it earned a stunning 1-1 draw with Morocco in its first Group C match of the 2026 FIFAWorld Cup.
The forward is battling a right calf injury that he suffered on May 17 while playing for Santos FC.
Per ESPN, the Brazil Football Confederation said Neymar “took another step in his recovery process” on Tuesday when he trained on the pitch, the first time he’s done so since arriving in the United States for the World Cup. It was a step in the right direction for Neymar, but he still has ways to go before he plays in the World Cup.
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Per the ESPN report, Neymar is recovering from a Grade II muscle injury. Brazilian media said the team’s medical staff is hopeful the star forward can return for the knockout stages of the World Cup.
If Brazil gets there.
Scotland leads Group C after the first round of games with three points after beating Haiti 1-0 on Saturday. Brazil will next play Haiti on Friday and will finish group play against Scotland on June 24.
Given Brazil’s slow start to the World Cup, it will face pressure to earn a win against Haiti and could need to beat Scotland to advance to the knockout round.
Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti told reporters before Saturday’s game that he was hopeful Neymar would return this week. He believes Neymar’s leadership qualities are important for the young team.
“Neymar is working very hard to recover as soon as possible,” Ancelotti said. “Our expectation is that he will recover and rejoin the group next week.
“When we included him in the roster, we added him for his technical abilities, which are indisputable. But we also want him for his experience and the example he sets for the young players on the team.”
The young players will need to step up if Neymar is to join them for the knockout round.
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