Neymar's hopes of featuring in the upcoming World Cup have suffered a major setback after medical examinations disclosed the full extent of his calf injury. The 34-year-old Santos forward, who holds the record as Brazil's all-time leading scorer, is anticipated to be out of action for two to three weeks following scans that confirmed a grade two muscle tear.
This diagnosis means Neymar will be absent for Brazil's two preparatory friendlies against Panama on Sunday and Egypt on June 6. The former Barcelona and Paris St Germain playmaker now faces a critical battle to regain fitness in time for their opening World Cup group stage match against Morocco on June 13.
Initially, Neymar had downplayed the seriousness of the injury, which he sustained during Santos' 3-0 defeat to Coritiba 11 days ago. However, Brazil's team doctor Rodrigo Lasmar provided a definitive update: "After missing Wednesday's training session to undergo imaging tests in Teresopolis, the MRI ruled out the initial hypothesis of a simpler issue. He arrived here at Granja (on Wednesday), underwent all the medical exams and we finished with an MRI that identified a grade two muscle injury in the calf, not just swelling."
The prolific attacker, who has scored 79 goals in 128 appearances for Brazil, has been plagued by injury issues in recent seasons, including a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus in his left knee in October 2023. He is aiming to appear at a fourth World Cup, having featured in the 2014, 2018, and 2022 tournaments.
Neymar has not played for the national team since suffering that serious knee injury over two-and-a-half years ago. Earlier this year, it seemed likely he would miss out on the World Cup squad after struggling to string together consistent performances, but a series of strong displays convinced coach Carlo Ancelotti to include him in the squad for this summer's tournament.
However, his latest injury setback could now see him miss the start of the World Cup, which would be a significant blow to Brazil's aspirations. Brazil have won the World Cup five times, but have not lifted the trophy since 2002. They have been eliminated at the quarter-final stage in the last two editions, and may need Neymar at his best to progress further this time around.
