Brazil received a fresh injury blow following their dramatic 2-1 comeback win over Japan in the 2026 World Cup Round of 32. Midfielder Lucas Paqueta has been ruled out of the Round of 16 clash against Norway with a thigh injury, leaving the door open for a potential return of Neymar to the starting team.
Paqueta was forced off at halftime in Houston after picking up the issue during the first half against Japan, and scans the following day confirmed the worst for Carlo Ancelotti’s side.
In an official statement, the CBF (Brazilian Football Confederation) said: “Paqueta underwent scans on Tuesday that confirmed a muscle injury to the back of his left thigh. The player will undergo an intensive treatment programme under the supervision of the national team’s medical staff, with the aim of recovering and returning to action as soon as possible”.
While the CBF did not provide a recovery timeline, the midfielder will follow an intensive treatment protocol with the goal of completing his recovery as soon as possible. However, the outlook isn’t especially encouraging — even the mildest grade of muscle tears typically require two to three weeks of recovery.
Lucas Paqueta reacts after being substituted with an injury. (Getty Images)
With Paqueta now sidelined, Ancelotti faces a decision: shift another midfielder or open a spot in the side for Neymar, who could fill the void in that position and has been building up his minutes step by step heading into the latter stages of the tournament.
see also
Brazil vs Norway: Date, kickoff time and venue for 2026 World Cup Round of 16 clash
Neymar’s road back: from the bench to a possible start
Neymar’s path to the 2026 World Cup has been anything but smooth. The 34-year-old, Brazil’s all-time leading scorer with 79 goals, suffered a Grade II muscle injury to his right calf while playing for Santos, just one day before Ancelotti named him in his 26-man squad.
The injury kept him out of Brazil’s first two group games, a 1-1 draw with Morocco and a 3-0 win over Haiti, and marked an extension of an absence that had already stretched back to October 2023, when Neymar tore his ACL playing for Brazil against Uruguay. By the time he was passed fit to feature against Scotland, he hadn’t played a competitive minute for the national team in 980 days.
Neymar made his tournament debut off the bench in that Scotland match, coming on in the 76th minute and playing roughly 14 minutes. He remained in a substitute role for the Round of 32 win over Japan, where he didn’t end up coming on, though Ancelotti explained the idea had been to use him in extra time had the match gone there.
When do Brazil play next?
Brazil’s Round of 16 match against Norway is set for July 5 at the New York New Jersey Stadium. Norway booked their spot in the next round with a 2-1 win over Ivory Coast in the Round of 32, with Erling Haaland scoring the decisive goal late on.
