Neymar ruled out of Brazil's World Cup clash against Haiti, to stay in New Jersey for recovery

Neymar, who has struggled with injury concerns of late and featured in just half of the games for Santos this year, had injured his right calf in late May.

Neymar has been officially ruled out of Brazil's second game at the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2026, against Haiti in Philadelphia, as he continues his recovery from a calf injury.

Brazil's forward #10 Neymar (L) speaks with Brazil's Italian head coach Carlo Ancelotti during an MD-1 training session at Columbia Park Training Facility in Morristown (AFP)

The development was confirmed by the Brazilian Football Confederation in a message sent to journalists on Thursday after the 34-year-old showed up at the training ground in New Jersey for the first time since joining the World Cup squad. He had earlier missed the five-time World Cup winners' opening 1-1 draw with Morocco in Group C owing to an injury that he picked up during his last game for Santos. Neymar, who has struggled with injury concerns of late and featured in just half of the games for his club Santos this year, had injured his right calf in late May.

Head coach Carlo Ancelotti was hopeful of Neymar's return in the match against Haiti in Philadelphia when he spoke to the press last week. Currently, he and his coaching staff are reluctant to rush the return of Brazil's all-time record goalscorer and compromise his availability for matches later in the tournament, according to Brazilian media.

Neymar, who has not played for his country since October 2023, "will remain in New Jersey to make the most of the final stage of his recovery process", the Brazilian Football Confederation said.

Brazil's final group stage game is against Scotland in Miami on June 24.

Although Neymar was unavailable for Brazil's opening match, he still added plenty of glamour to the occasion. Ahead of kickoff, the injured forward was spotted on the sidelines greeting high-profile personalities, including rapper Travis Scott and NFL legend Tom Brady, a seven-time Super Bowl champion.

As Brazil struggled to create clear-cut chances against Morocco, many fans and pundits quickly began calling for the experience and creativity of Neymar. However, in his absence, Vinicius Jr stepped up when it mattered most, producing a brilliant equaliser in the first half to keep Brazil in the contest.