Brazil’s record goalscorer continues to be plagued by injuries even after being selected for the 2026 World Cup squad.
Published June 18, 2026
The Brazilian Football Federation has confirmed that Neymar will miss the second leg of the World Cup in Brazil due to a lingering calf injury.
The association announced in a statement Thursday that the forward will not accompany the rest of the team to the Group C game against Haiti in Philadelphia.
“He plans to remain in New Jersey to optimize the final stages of the recovery process,” it added.
Neymar is Brazil’s top international scorer with 79 goals, surpassing the great Pele’s 77 goals.
The Brazilian federation said the 34-year-old will continue his recovery at the team’s hotel facilities.
Neymar returned to the training ground for the first time on Tuesday and carried out physical conditioning exercises. He rejoined his teammates for part of Wednesday’s session and received applause from them as he took the field.
Neymar has yet to practice fully with the rest of the squad since reporting to the Brazilian national team while nursing an injured right foot.
Neymar, who is aiming for his fourth World Cup appearance, underwent tests on his right calf on Monday to assess the progress of the injury he sustained against Santos on May 17.
The five-time World Cup winners started the tournament with a 1-1 draw with Morocco on Saturday.
There was widespread debate in Brazil about whether Neymar should have been called up by coach Carlo Ancelotti for the World Cup, which his country hosted for the first time in 2014.
