Carlo Ancelotti has recalled Neymar Jr to Brazil's squad for another shot at the World Cup, but the forward will not be available for the opener against Morocco. Ancelotti said the 34-year-old could return to training next week, leaving Brazil to wait on whether their all-time top scorer can play any real part beyond the first match.
The timing matters because Neymar has not played for Brazil since 2023, and his name still carries more expectation than almost anyone in the squad. He made eight appearances for Santos in the Brazilian top division this year, enough for Ancelotti to bring him back into the picture even after previously insisting Neymar could return only once he had proved he was ready.
That change of course will be read against a career that has repeatedly been shaped by injury and unfinished business with the national team. Neymar was left out as a teenager in 2010 despite popular demand, then lost his moment on home soil in 2014 when injury struck and Brazil were thrashed 7-1 by Germany in Belo Horizonte. More setbacks followed before 2018 and again during the 2022 World Cup, when he scored a sensational extra-time goal in the quarter-final in Qatar before Croatia equalised in the 117th minute and knocked Brazil out on penalties.
Brazil, five-time champions, are again trying to build around a player whose influence has never quite matched the weight of expectation around him because fitness keeps interrupting the script. Cafu has backed that idea, saying Neymar can be important for any team and that seeing him play well physically and technically can help Brazil a lot, while also arguing that Ancelotti has the experience to give the side new energy.
For now, though, the immediate answer is simple: Neymar will not face Morocco, and Brazil’s hope is that next week’s training return is the start of a real comeback rather than another pause. The larger question is whether Ancelotti has recalled him early enough to matter later in the tournament, or just early enough to keep the waiting going.
