When Carlo Ancelotti named his Brazil squad for the 2026 World Cup, the inclusion of Neymar at the expense of players such as Joao Pedro caused plenty of discussion. Neymar did pick up a calf injury, and speculation has been rife about when the 34-year-old would return. Ancelotti has now revealed the expectations regarding the attacker’s involvement in the competition.
Brazil Set to Face Morocco on June 13
Brazil Ready for 2026 World Cup
Brazil are set to open their 2026 World Cup campaign against Morocco on June 13. They have been on a good run in their warm-up games, and finished their preparations against Egypt with a 2-1 victory.
Carlo Ancelotti’s team will be expected to make the later stages of the competition at a minimum, and will be looking to Marquinhos and Alisson to keep things quiet defensively. There have been better Brazilian sides, of that there is little doubt. But they still have plenty of talent, such as Bruno Guimaraes, Vinicius Junior, and Raphinha, among others.
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Ancelotti Gives Latest Update on Neymar
Speaking in the build-up to Brazil vs Morocco, Ancelotti revealed the latest on Neymar’s availability:
“Neymar is working very hard to recover as quickly as possible. The expectation is that he will recover and rejoin the group next week.”
Brazil 2026 World Cup Squad
Goalkeepers: Alisson, Ederson, Weverton
Defenders: Alex Sandro, Bremer, Danilo, Douglas Santos, Gabriel Magalhães, Ibanez, Leo Pereira, Marquinhos, Wesley
Midfielders: Bruno Guimarães, Casemiro, Danilo Santos, Fabinho, Lucas Paqueta
Forwards: Endrick, Gabriel Martinelli, Igor Thiago, Luiz Henrique, Matheus Cunha, Neymar, Raphinha, Rayan, Vini Jr.
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Brazil Squad News
Since the squad was named, Wesley picked up a thigh injury in the 2-1 win vs Egypt, and was soon ruled out of the tournament, and replaced by Manchester United-bound midfielder Ederson.
It remains to be seen what involvement Neymar will have in this World Cup, but the news of his return for the second game against Haiti on June 20 will be a boost for his manager and teammates.
Featured Image Credit:
IMAGO / Nicolo Campo
