Neymar missed Brazil's first training session of their 2026 World Cup camp on Wednesday to undergo imaging tests on his right calf — and just like that, the biggest storyline of Brazil's summer isn't Morocco or Ancelotti's system. It's whether their most famous player is fit enough to be there at all.
The Brazilian Football Confederation confirmed the 34-year-old was sent to a private clinic in Teresopolis rather than joining the closed session at Granja Comary. Their statement offered nothing beyond that: no further information until the medical staff complete their assessments. In other words, nobody knows yet.
A recall built on thin ice
Neymar's return to the squad last week generated genuine excitement — and genuine skepticism. He hasn't played for Brazil since 2023. His time back at Santos was underwhelming at best. Carlo Ancelotti had kept him out of his plans for a full year before this recall, and made it publicly clear that sentiment wouldn't earn anyone a squad place.
"No special treatment," Ancelotti said in early May. Fitness and form, full stop.
The problem is that Neymar's recent record on both fronts is shaky. Injury has defined his last several years more than football has. Brazil's all-time leading scorer — 79 goals in 128 appearances — hasn't looked like that player in a long time. His inclusion was already a gamble. A calf scare before training has even properly started makes it look like a bigger one.
Brazil's World Cup odds will be worth watching closely if he's ruled out. Not because the squad collapses without him, but because his presence — even symbolic — shifts how group rivals and bookmakers read this team's attacking ceiling.
The schedule won't wait
Brazil have three more sessions at Granja Comary before Sunday's friendly against Panama at the Maracana. After that, they face Egypt in Cleveland before opening their World Cup campaign against African champions Morocco on June 13 in New Jersey. Group C also includes Haiti and Scotland — a draw that looks manageable on paper, but only if Brazil show up as a functioning unit.
Ancelotti is already short-handed for Panama. Gabriel Magalhaes, Marquinhos, and Gabriel Martinelli are all involved in Saturday's Champions League final between Arsenal and PSG, ruling them out of that fixture.
Add Neymar's status as unknown, and Brazil's opening preparations are considerably more unsettled than the squad announcement suggested. The medical verdict is coming. Whether it's good news or not, Ancelotti said himself the decision would be clinical — not sentimental.
