Neymar making ‘good progress’ from injury but still has no return date for Ancelotti’s Brazil

Neymar is currently undergoing a specialized rehabilitation program for a right calf injury in a race to be fit for Carlo Ancelotti‘s side ahead of the 2026 World Cup. While the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) issued a statement revealing “good progress,” the Santos star remains without a definitive return date to action for the Brazil national team.

The CBF released a statement on Monday announcing the update: “The athlete Neymar underwent an MRI this Monday. The exam indicated good progress in his treatment, within the expected parameters. He will continue the recovery and physical preparation process planned by the medical staff of the Brazilian National Team.“

Back on May 17, Neymar suffered a grade-two muscle strain in his right calf during Santos’ match against Coritiba, which marks the forward’s last competitive appearance. Upon reporting to the national team, further tests revealed the damage was more severe than a simple edema, prompting the medical staff to initiate an intensive treatment plan.

Neymar missed both of Brazil’s pre-World Cup friendlies—the first against Panama at the Maracanã, followed by Saturday’s clash with Egypt. Instead of traveling with the squad to Cleveland, the forward remained at the team’s training base in New Jersey to continue his rehab with Brazil’s physiotherapy staff, utilizing an anti-gravity treadmill to run with minimal impact.

Head coach Carlo Ancelotti has already dealt with his first pre-tournament injury blow, having to drop right back Wesley from the final roster and call up Ederson as a replacement. The Italian tactician has made it clear that he will not alter his 26-man squad to replace Neymar, and this positive medical update signals that the talismanic forward could still feature in the tournament.

What’s next for Neymar?

Despite what the Brazilian Confederation termed “good progress,” no exact timeline has been established for Neymar’s return to peak match fitness. With both pre-World Cup tune-ups now in the books, Neymar will have only a handful of training sessions left to integrate with the squad before their tournament opener.

The expectation is that as Neymar continues to improve, he will eventually be cleared for individual ball work before being integrated back into full team training. In his press conference ahead of the Egypt friendly, Ancelotti expressed optimism that he could have his star attacker back on the training pitch later this week.

Brazil kicks off its World Cup campaign against Morocco in just five days on Saturday, June 13. With his recovery timeline initially estimated at two to three weeks, Neymar is highly likely to sit out the opener against the African nation, leaving his availability for subsequent Group C matches against Haiti (June 19) and Scotland (June 24) dependent on his ongoing progress.