Neymar Jr to miss Brazil's World Cup game against Haiti, confirms Carlo Ancelotti

Neymar Jr will officially miss Brazil's second 2026 World Cup group stage match against Haiti as he continues to recover from a calf injury.The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) confirmed on Thursday that the 34-year-old forward will not even travel with the squad to Philadelphia for Friday's match. Instead, Neymar will stay behind at Brazil's base camp in New Jersey to focus strictly on his rehabilitation. Head coach Carlo Ancelotti and his medical team are choosing to be highly cautious. They want to ensure Brazil's all-time top goalscorer is fully healthy for the knockout rounds later in the tournament. Neymar hurt his right calf in late May while playing for his club team, Santos, during a 3-0 loss to Coritiba.

This injury has kept him

away from international play, meaning he has not actually played a match for Brazil in nearly three years. His recovery has been a very slow, careful process. In early June, Neymar was limited to indoor workouts with team physiotherapists and fitness coaches. On Tuesday, June 16,2026 He stepped onto a grass pitch for the first time since arriving in the United States to do light running drills. Neymar surprised reporters by warming up in uniform with his teammates. He joked around and asked the media, "Did you miss me?" However, after a few brief team drills, he went back to working alone on the sidelines.

🚨 OFFICIAL: Neymar Jr to miss Brazil game against Haiti, out of Ancelotti’s squad. 🇧🇷 No risks taken as Ney Jr returned fo full team training only 24 hours ago, building his best condition. pic.twitter.com/FGX5shCSBb

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 18, 2026

Why does Brazil look under pressure?

Brazil is under massive pressure because they are heavily underperforming at the start of this World Cup. For a country that expects to win every soccer match, their current situation has sparked a lot of worry. Brazil was expected to easily win their first game. Instead, they were outplayed by Morocco in a 1-1 draw.Morocco took an early lead, and Brazil looked disorganized. They only saved a point because star player Vinícius Júnior scored a brilliant solo goal. Brazil did not play with their usual style, flair, or confidence. Historically, Brazil dominates the ball and attacks constantly. However, against Morocco, Brazil was outshot for the first time in a World Cup match in 20 years. Morocco scored 14 shots, while Brazil scored only 12 shots.

This broke a 22-game streak where Brazil always had more shots than their opponent. It showed fans that other teams do not fear Brazil anymore. Fans and experts are questioning the tactics used by manager Carlo Ancelotti. The team struggled to control the middle of the field. Experienced players like Casemiro looked tired and slow after a long club season. Without a strong midfield, the defense was left exposed, and the attackers did not get enough passes. Because they tied the first match, Brazil absolutely must beat Haiti on Friday. Brazil is ranked much higher than Haiti. If they fail to win, it would be seen as a historic embarrassment. A loss or another tie would leave them in serious danger of being knocked out of the tournament early.