Neymar Jr. will miss Brazil's opening FIFA World Cup 2026 Group C match against Morocco due to a grade 2 right calf strain. Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti confirmed that while Neymar is rehabilitating
well, the coaching staff opted to sideline him for the June 13 opener. Neymar suffered the right calf strain in mid-May and it has kept him away from training or playing in any of the pre-tournament warm-up matches too.
🚨🇧🇷 BREAKING: Neymar Jr to miss Brazil vs Morocco opening game but back next week. “Neymar is working very hard to recover as quickly as possible. The expectation is that he will recover and rejoin the group next week”. pic.twitter.com/8aFLuHyo11
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 12, 2026
Ancelotti said: "Neymar is working very hard to recover as quickly as possible. The expectation is that he will recover and rejoin the group next week. When we call up Neymar, we call him not only for his technical quality, which is indisputable, but also for his experience and the example he can set for the young players in this group."
After spending nearly three years away from international duty—including a severe ACL and meniscus tear in October 2023—Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti dramatically included the 34-year-old forward in the final 26-man roster. There was huge courage when initially Ancelotti chose not to select Neymar for the squad.
Morocco might upset Brazil in World Cup Opener match as they enter as tournament dark horse
Morocco made unprecedented history at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar by becoming the first African and the first Arab nation to reach the tournament semi-finals. They topped Group F with an unbeaten record, securing a draw against Croatia and stunning victories over Belgium and Canada. The highlight was them knocking out Spain in a dramatic 3-0 penalty shootout following a 0-0 draw, where goalkeeper Yassine Bounou kept a clean sheet and then eliminating Portugal 1-0 with a famous header by Youssef En-Nesyri, sealing the historic leap to the final four. Ultimately, they lost to France 2-0 and finished in fourth place. This time, they are expected to go further as a dark horse.
Morocco will look to absorb pressure, relying on their signature defensive shape and quick transitions. The right-hand side of Morocco's attack—featuring Achraf Hakimi and Brahim Díaz—will test Brazil's left defensive flank. Still, Vinicius Jr might look forward to exploiting that same space, creating chances. Brazil boasts a formidable attacking unit but remains without Neymar, who is sidelined with an ongoing knee injury. Morocco approaches the tournament with a slightly rebuilt and injury-hit defence, missing some familiar faces from their historic 2022 run
