Brazil opened their 2026 World Cup campaign with a 1-1 draw against Morocco—a match Neymar missed entirely due to ongoing fitness complications. Now, manager Carlo Ancelotti’s squad is preparing to take the pitch for their second group fixture against Haiti, and their star will once again be missing from the team sheet.
Officials from the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) confirmed that Neymar did not travel with the team to Philadelphia for the upcoming group stage match. Instead, he will remain at the team’s training camp in New Jersey to focus strictly on the final stage of his medical rehabilitation.
The 34-year-old forward, who stands as the all-time leading goalscorer in Brazilian national team history, is currently recovering from a Grade 2 right calf strain. He originally sustained the injury in May while playing domestically for Santos.
At this time, medical staff have not determined whether he will be cleared to face Scotland on Wednesday, June 24, when both nations wrap up their respective group stage campaigns.
Neymar during Brazil’s game vs Morocco. (Getty Images)
Can Brazil clinch a spot in the knockout stage vs Haiti?
Even with a dominant performance at Philadelphia Stadium, Brazil cannot mathematically lock up a spot in the Round of 32 on Matchday 2. Even if they secure a victory over Haiti, moving them to four points and putting them in an excellent position to advance, there remains a slim mathematical chance they could still be left on the outside looking in.
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Should Carlo Ancelotti’s men take down Haiti, the Seleção would only need a simple draw on Matchday 3 against Scotland to officially punch their ticket to the knockout rounds. Even a final-day loss to the Scots could potentially see them slide through as one of the tournament’s top-ranked third-place wildcards.
On the flip side, a draw or a shock defeat against the Caribbean nation wouldn’t completely eliminate the South American giants, but it would paint an incredibly bleak picture. Any dropped points against Haiti would leave Brazil in a must-win situation against Scotland just to keep their World Cup campaign alive.
