Despite medical warnings regarding Neymar’s calf injury, coach Carlo Ancelotti has ended the speculation by declaring he will keep the 26-man squad for the 2026 World Cup unchanged. The Brazil boss is willing to accept the risk, waiting for his number one star to recover and go all out for the campaign to conquer the United States.
The Brazilian national team’s press conference on May 30th became the center of international media attention when the severity of Neymar’s injury was revealed to be worse than initially expected. However, instead of seeking a replacement, Coach Carlo Ancelotti delivered a firm statement to stabilize the “Selecao” squad right before their friendly match against Panama.
“He is training very well. Neymar will travel with us to the World Cup. We have selected 26 players, and they are all going to the tournament; there will be absolutely no changes,” the Italian strategist emphasized.
Despite the coaching staffs confidence, the Samba nations media remains skeptical. With a Grade 2 calf injury, many forecasts suggest that Neymar will need to be sidelined for 3 to 4 weeks. This means his physical fitness is unlikely to be guaranteed for the group stage.
However, Ancelotti has mapped out a clear roadmap: “We still expect Neymar to take the pitch in the opening match against Morocco (June 14); if he cannot play, we will wait until the second match against Haiti (June 20). I have spoken with Neymar; he is working hard on his recovery and fully understands his crucial role in this tournament.”
Brazil’s patience is further justified as the group stage dynamics are shifting in their favor. Their opponent in the final group stage match (June 25), Scotland, has just suffered a massive blow. Key midfielder Billy Gilmour suffered a torn knee ligament during their 4-1 friendly victory over Curacao (May 31) and has officially been ruled out of the World Cup.
