Analysis— 5 min read
When Carlo Ancelotti named Neymar in Brazil's final 26-man squad for the World Cup, it was the selection announcement that stopped football in its tracks. The forward had been absent from the national team for over two years, his international career seemingly finished after a string of devastating injuries — most notably the ACL and meniscus tear that ruled him out of the 2023 Copa America.
His comeback at club level with Santos gave Ancelotti enough to work with. The coach had set a clear condition: stay healthy, return to match fitness, and the door to the Selecao would reopen. Neymar met that threshold, at least until May, when a calf problem has since placed his availability for the opener in genuine doubt.
Brazil's national team doctor confirmed on May 28 that the 34-year-old could be sidelined for up to three weeks with the calf issue, placing the June 13 group game against Morocco in doubt. Brazil are expected to have him available for the later stages of the group phase and beyond, but any further setback would be another cruel chapter in a World Cup story that has never delivered the title his talent deserved.
Across the rest of the squad, Ancelotti has problems to manage. Rodrygo misses the tournament through injury, and Estevao — a likely starter — was left off the preliminary squad after a hamstring problem in April. That places even greater responsibility on Raphinha, Vinicius Junior and Gabriel Martinelli to carry the attacking load in the early rounds.
Brazil have not won the World Cup since 2002. The pressure on Ancelotti, the most decorated club manager in the history of the game now navigating his first major tournament as a national team coach, is immense.