Neymar's World Cup Journey: Training with Brazil Amid Injury Concerns

Neymar is back on the training pitch with Brazil at this World Cup in the United States, but the country’s record goalscorer remains stuck on the outside looking in.

The 34-year-old, who has 79 goals for the Seleção, rejoined full training with the squad this week after a right calf injury, yet Carlo Ancelotti is refusing to bend to reputation. Neymar missed the opening 1-1 draw with Morocco and has again been left out of the matchday squad for Brazil’s second group game against Haiti on Friday.

For now, his World Cup is happening in bibs and rondos, not under stadium lights.

That hasn’t stopped the debate. Or the jokes.

“Neymar? He is not even playing!” Brazil legend Lula quipped to a young boy who mentioned the forward’s name. The 80-year-old, speaking at a hospital ceremony in Belo Horizonte, did not stop there. “Neymar is the first player to be called up to the national team who is working remotely,” he added, leaning into the growing sense that Brazil’s most famous No.10 is a presence more than a protagonist at this tournament.

Lula has been in mischievous mood since the Morocco draw, even teasing on Wednesday that he was thinking of signing Lionel Messi to play for Brazil. The line was pure theatre, but it underlined a reality: Brazil’s attack, for once, is not orbiting around Neymar.

His body simply has not allowed it. Diagnosed in late May with a calf problem, the former Barcelona and Paris Saint Germain star has managed only half of Santos’ games this year, his calendar shredded by a string of fitness setbacks. Those issues made his call-up contentious in the first place, despite his status and history with the national team.

Ancelotti and his staff are standing firm. According to Brazilian media, they are determined not to rush the country’s all-time leading scorer back into competitive action and risk losing him for the business end of the tournament. Brazil know what an in-form Neymar can do on a World Cup stage; they also know how fragile he has been since October 2023, when he last played for his country.

There was a flicker of hope on Wednesday. Neymar trained with his teammates for the first time at this World Cup, a small but significant step after months of rehabilitation and interrupted club form. For a player who has carried Brazil through the last three World Cup campaigns, simply pulling on a training shirt alongside the group again matters.

Yet the clock is ticking. Brazil finish their group stage against Scotland in Miami on June 24. Between now and then, Ancelotti must decide whether this World Cup will feature Neymar the symbol on the team sheet, or Neymar the match-winner on the pitch.