Neymar injury update: will he play for Brazil vs Haiti?
The No. 10 trained on the grass with the group for the first time since arriving in the United States.
It took a while, but he is finally here. Neymar trained for the first time since arriving in the United States two weeks ago. A calf injury hampered him at the start of this World Cup, but he is expected to be available for the knockout rounds. In other words, it remains highly unlikely, almost impossible, that he will feature against Haiti and Scotland, Brazil’s final opponents in the group stage.
Brazil has never lost faith in Neymar, and that belief is stronger than ever now. The attacking midfielder returned to training refreshed and determined to make his first appearance at the World Cup. Although the results of his latest medical tests have not been made public, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) is taking a cautious approach. “It’s within expectations,” officials say in New Jersey, where Brazil is based for the tournament. They are unwilling to rush his recovery and risk a setback. As a result, his chances of playing during the group stage continue to diminish and are now close to zero.
While there had initially been hope that Neymar could play a few minutes against Haiti and see increased action against Scotland, that plan has been put on hold, at least for now. His physical condition has been a topic of debate throughout the year, and his calf injury even more so. Santos drew criticism for withholding information about both his fitness and the injury, but the club was never going to give up on a player who had already shown clear signs of improvement. Neymar remains an important figure for the national team, although it has been made clear that he is neither an automatic starter nor indispensable.
Meanwhile, the squad continues to rally around its No. 10. “Our hope is that Neymar returns at 100%. We’re praying for his full recovery because, if he’s fully fit, he’ll be a player who can help us a great deal,” Douglas Santos said during a press conference.
Neymar treina em campo com a seleção brasileira pela primeira vez nos Estados Unidos.
— LIBERTA DEPRE (@liberta___depre) June 16, 2026
Dê tênis e não chuteira, o camisa 10 fez exercícios físicos, ainda sem contato com a bola ou os demais jogadores.
Via: @geglobo
📽️@CBF_Futebol pic.twitter.com/rssViN9UMA
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