Carlo Ancelotti has recalled Neymar to the Brazil squad for the World Cup. A 34-year-old with a grade-two calf injury, no international appearances since 2023, and a spell at Santos so underwhelming it barely registered. That's the gamble Brazil are taking into their opening Group C fixture against Morocco on June 13.
The calf scan came back bad enough that Neymar could miss two to three weeks of action. Ancelotti insists he'll be ready for the Morocco game. You can decide how much comfort to take from that.
A squad stripped of its depth
The Neymar call looks less like sentiment and more like triage when you see what else is missing. Estevao, Rodrygo, and Eder Militao are all out injured. That's a Chelsea winger, a Real Madrid forward, and the man expected to solve Brazil's right-back problem — gone before a ball is kicked.
The full-back situation is particularly damaging for a country that essentially invented the position as an attacking weapon. Nilton Santos, Cafu, Roberto Carlos — Brazil's history at right and left back reads like a hall of fame. Their solution in 2026? Danilo and Alex Sandro, both at Flamengo, both well past their best years at Juventus.
There are questions in goal too. Alisson spent much of the Liverpool season injured. His backup Ederson left Manchester City for Turkish football. And the midfield engine is a 34-year-old Casemiro, whose strong season at United was encouraging but doesn't change the broader picture.
Brazil's attack still carries genuine threat — Vinicius Jr, Raphinha, Matheus Cunha, and Endrick give Ancelotti options that most coaches would take. The complication is where Neymar slots into that group if he recovers. Ancelotti has already said this team needs to press high and run hard. That's a demanding ask for a player who's spent the past two years managing injuries and chasing form he hasn't found.
Experience heavy, momentum light
Fifteen of Ancelotti's squad were also in Qatar in 2022 — the highest number of World Cup returnees in Brazil's history. That's a lot of experience from a tournament Brazil exited on penalties in the quarter-finals. Ancelotti extended his contract to 2030, citing belief in a young generation. The squad he's actually taken is built around the opposite.
Brazil haven't won a World Cup since 2002. Another failure in 2026 would make this their longest title drought. After Morocco, they face Haiti and Scotland — winnable games that will tell us quickly whether this squad has enough to go deep, or whether the injury list was just the start of the problems.
