Neymar took a significant step toward full fitness on Wednesday, returning to team training with Brazil for the first time since the FIFA World Cup 2026 kicked off in North America. The Santos forward had been working through a grade two calf strain that kept him out of the Seleção's tournament opener, and his reintegration into group sessions represents the most concrete sign yet that he remains in contention for the knockout rounds.
The road back has not been without its anxieties. Carlo Ancelotti drew criticism for including the injury-prone forward in his 26-man squad, a decision that looked even more contentious when Neymar was ruled out of Brazil's first Group C match against Morocco - a game the Seleção ultimately failed to win, drawing 1-1 with the Atlas Lions despite having the talismanic number 10 watching from the bench. In the days that followed, fresh tests were carried out on the affected leg, and both the medical and coaching staff made clear they would not accelerate his comeback until he was completely pain-free - a cautious approach that briefly cast doubt over whether he would feature in any of Brazil's group-stage fixtures at all. Those tracking sports across disciplines - from football to, say, best curling betting sites - will know that managing a grade two muscle strain against a tournament clock is rarely straightforward, and the Brazil camp has been measured in its handling of the situation.
After completing individual fitness work without the ball on Tuesday, Neymar stepped up to full training alongside his teammates on Wednesday. The mood in camp appeared buoyant. The 33-year-old was in characteristically good humour, asking the reporters gathered at the session, "Were you missing me?" His teammates welcomed him back in equally light-hearted fashion, making him run through a guard of honour before drills began. It was the kind of scene that Brazilian fans, who have endured years of watching their most gifted player navigate one setback after another, will have watched with a mixture of relief and cautious optimism.
Group Stage Involvement Still Unlikely
Despite the encouraging images from training, Neymar is not expected to feature in Brazil's next group match against Haiti, scheduled for June 20 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. Reports also suggest he will be withheld from the subsequent fixture against Scotland, with the Seleção's medical and coaching staff targeting the Round of 32 as the earliest point at which he might be introduced. That timeline, if adhered to, would mean Neymar misses all three group games - a significant absence, though one that Brazil's squad depth should allow them to manage, provided results hold.
Ancelotti's Gamble and the Bigger Picture
The debate around Ancelotti's decision to name Neymar in the squad in the first place reflects a broader tension that has surrounded the forward throughout the latter stages of his career. His injury record since leaving Paris Saint-Germain has been persistent enough to prompt serious questions about his reliability at the highest level, yet his quality when fit remains difficult to ignore. For Ancelotti, including him is clearly a calculated risk - the logic being that even a partially fit Neymar, available from the knockout stages, could prove decisive in a tournament where fine margins matter enormously.
Brazil's 1-1 draw with Morocco in the opener underscored how much the team can miss that creative spark. The Atlas Lions, disciplined and well-organised as ever on the continental and global stage, frustrated the Seleção effectively. Whether Brazil's remaining group games provide enough of a test to sharpen the squad ahead of the knockout rounds remains to be seen, but the return of their most celebrated player to full training at least gives Ancelotti options he did not have 48 hours ago. The next update on Neymar's fitness will be closely watched in Brazil and well beyond it.
