Neymar Returns to Training but Remains Sidelines for Brazil

Neymar is back on the grass with Brazil. He is not, however, back in the team.

The country’s all‑time leading marksman, sitting on 79 international goals, rejoined full training with the World Cup squad in the United States this week after a right calf injury. Yet the 34‑year‑old will watch again from the sidelines when Brazil face Haiti in their second group game on Friday.

He already missed the opening 1-1 draw with Morocco. Carlo Ancelotti has again left his star forward out of the matchday squad, preferring caution over temptation.

The message from the bench is clear: no risks.

Brazilian media report that Ancelotti and his staff are determined not to rush Neymar back and jeopardise his availability for the business end of the tournament. After a stop‑start year with Santos, that stance carries weight. Diagnosed in late May with a calf problem, the former Barcelona and Paris Saint Germain striker has played only half of his club’s matches in 2026, his season repeatedly interrupted by fitness issues.

He had not pulled on the Brazil shirt since October 2023 before linking up with the squad, and his very inclusion in this World Cup campaign raised eyebrows given the catalogue of injuries that has shadowed him.

Yet Neymar’s aura still dominates the conversation around the seleção. Even the president cannot resist.

Asked about the forward by a young boy, Lula cut in with a quip that instantly went viral: “Neymar? He is not even playing!” The 80‑year‑old, speaking at a hospital ceremony in Belo Horizonte, then twisted the knife with another joke, calling Neymar “the first player to be called up to the national team who is working remotely.”

Lula has been in playful mood since the Morocco draw, even teasing on Wednesday that he was considering signing Lionel Messi to play for Brazil. The humour underlines a serious point: the nation is once again waiting on Neymar, and waiting a little longer than it would like.

On Wednesday, there was finally a glimpse of progress. Neymar trained with his teammates for the first time at this World Cup, a small but significant step for a player who has been central to Brazil’s last three tournaments on the global stage.

This time, his role is still being written.

Ancelotti’s calculation is straightforward: better to have Neymar fully fit for the knockout rounds than half‑ready in June. Brazil close their group campaign against Scotland in Miami on June 24. By then, the question will be unavoidable.

Is this the World Cup where Neymar returns to carry Brazil once more, or the one where the team learns to move on without him?