FIFA World Cup 2026: Brazil star Neymar will miss the national team’s opening match of the FIFA World Cup 2026 against Morocco, Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti confirmed on Saturday. The Selecao get their tournament underway on June 14 (as per Indian Standard Time), when they face Morocco at MetLife Stadium in the first Group C game. Speaking about the forward’s fitness, Ancelotti said, “He’s working hard to get fit as quickly as possible. We hope he can return to full training next week.”
FIFA World Cup 2026: Neymar ruled out of Brazil vs Morocco
Neymar, who had injured his right calf before the tournament, was a doubt for their first game and now he is out. By skipping Canarinha’s opening match against Morocco, he will extend his absence from the national team. It was on October 17 2023 when Neymar last played for Brazil. At that time, his last game with the five-time World Cup winners was a 2-0 defeat against Uruguay in Montevideo. Brazil has not called Neymar up for quite some time, among other reasons, due to his string of injuries and dip in form. But, given his standout season individually with Santos, Ancelotti decided to call him up for the international tournament.
FIFA World Cup 2026: When will Neymar play next?
Brazil will next take on Haiti on June 19 before concluding their group-stage campaign against Scotland on June 24, with Ancelotti expressing confidence that Neymar could be available for both fixtures.
FIFA World Cup 2026: Brazil vs Morocco
Brazil and Morocco are set to face each other at the World Cup for only the second time, with their previous meeting coming in the 1998 group stage when Brazil registered a 3-0 victory in a match that saw Ronaldo Nazario and Rivaldo score their first World Cup goals.
Brazil have historically dominated against African teams at the World Cup, winning seven of their eight encounters, with their only defeat coming against Cameroon in 2022, when they lost 1-0.
FIFA World Cup 2026: Top teams in action
The upcoming fixture is also the only group-stage match featuring two teams currently ranked inside the top 10 of the FIFA World Rankings, with Brazil placed sixth and Morocco eighth. “This is a team which can compete with anyone,” Ancelotti added. “We can face up to any team. We have technical quality and experience and we are absolutely confident we can face up to any team. We have a good feeling about this World Cup. We’re ready and prepared. At this point there is no clear favourite for the World Cup. Several teams will have the opportunity to compete all the way to the end,” the Brazil head coach concluded.
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