A new muscle injury, this time in the calf, threatens Neymar’s participation in the 2026 World Cup and adds to the long list of physical problems he has had since returning to Santos in January 2025.
The form of the No. 10, a last-minute surprise in Carlo Ancelotti’s squad for the U.S., Mexico and Canada, monopolized the start of the Canarinha’s training camp in Teresópolis, in the mountains of Rio de Janeiro.
New injury that puts Neymar in check
Carletto, who always conditioned Neymar’s return to the senior team on his physical condition, listened to the clamor of an important part of the dressing room, the fans and the press, and opted to call him up for what could be his last World Cup in 2026.
But the Santos attacker has arrived at the training camp injured.
And not with “an edema”, as reported by his club, but with a grade II injury in the right calf.
He will be sidelined for two to three weeks.
Ney, 34, will miss the two previous friendlies against Panama and Egypt.
And he is a serious doubt for the Group C opener against Morocco on June 13 in New Jersey.
The Brazilian press does not rule out the possibility that he could be recalled if he does not progress favorably.
An ordeal that began in Uruguay
The former FC Barcelona player has been living through hell since October 17, 2023.
It was when he tore the anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus in his left knee with the ‘Seleção’ in a South American qualifying match against Uruguay in Montevideo.
At the time, he was playing for Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia.
Since then, he has not worn his country’s jersey and has accumulated nearly 700 days of sick leave.
Between injuries, recovery processes and rests, according to the Transfermarkt portal.
Neymar wanted to relaunch his career at the club where he was born, Santos.
The company celebrated the return of its prodigal son on January 31, 2025 with a big party at the Vila Belmiro stadium.
However, the physical mishaps continued.
Brazil’s all-time leading scorer suffered various ailments in March, April, September and November of last year.
The first three were thigh injuries.
In November, he presented problems in the meniscus of his battered left knee (Filed under: Neymar World Cup 2026 at risk).
Wants to return to the elite
Nevertheless, he played with a torn meniscus and was fundamental to Santos’ permanence in the first division of the Brazilian Championship.
In total, he made just 28 appearances in 2025 in various competitions, scoring 11 goals and providing 4 assists.
At the end of the course, last December, he underwent an arthroscopy to correct the meniscus injury.
He took his recovery slowly in order to return in full condition and convince Ancelotti more easily.
And the striker from Mogi das Cruzes managed to have some continuity and seemed to put injuries to one side.
This is thanks to a meticulous rest and load control program agreed with Santos (Filed under: Neymar World Cup 2026 at risk).
New injury slows him down again
But the ghost reappeared on May 17.
One day before Ancelotti announced the World Cup roster.
Neymar felt a twinge in his calf during a Brazilian League match and set off all the alarms.
Santos downplayed the problem and the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) discovered, after a new battery of tests, that it was more serious than it seemed.
For the time being, he will remain in the ‘green and yellow’ camp.
He arrived at the training camp injured
QuéOnnda.com
Neymar, who has been silent since joining the national team last Wednesday, already knows what it’s like to miss out on a major tournament with the senior team.
The 10 missed the Copa America Brazil 2019 after suffering a ligament injury in his right ankle during a preparatory friendly against Qatar.
The Canarinha ended up, however, winning the title without their top star (Filed as: Neymar World Cup 2026 at risk).
With information from EFE
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