Neymar isn't getting on the plane to Cleveland. Brazil's football confederation confirmed Thursday that the 34-year-old will stay in New Jersey for continued treatment on his calf rather than join the squad for Saturday's exhibition against Egypt.
That's not a surprise — the team doctor said last week he'd be out two to three weeks. What sharpens the concern is the calendar. Brazil open the World Cup on June 13 against Morocco in East Rutherford, and the window for Neymar to be fit in time is narrow enough that it's a genuine question, not a precautionary one.
Neymar might miss the opener — and Brazil picked him anyway
The Brazilian Football Confederation picked Neymar knowing this was the risk. He's been managing his way back from a torn ACL in his left knee — suffered in October 2023 — and has played just eight matches for Santos FC this season, contributing four goals and two assists. That's the output of a man finding his legs again, not one ready to carry a World Cup campaign.
FIFA rules do allow an injured player to be replaced up to one day before a team's first game, so the door isn't fully closed. But anyone pricing Brazil with Neymar as a central figure should factor in that he may not feature at all in the group stage, at minimum.
Coach Carlos Ancelotti argued the selection last month with reasoning that was more about atmosphere than football: "He has experience in this kind of competition, the love of our group, he can create a better environment in this group." That's the kind of justification you reach for when you can't fully justify the decision on fitness alone.
Brazil's all-time leading scorer with 79 international goals, Neymar would be playing in his fourth World Cup if he features. If he doesn't, this squad needs to be evaluated without him — and right now, that evaluation is probably the more useful one.
Marquinhos has been named captain, which at least settles the leadership question on the pitch. "Being captain isn't simply about wearing the armband and playing football," the 32-year-old defender said Wednesday. "It starts with the person and with what you can contribute to the group."
Brazil head to Cleveland without their most famous player, and June 13 is getting closer.
