Brazil entered the 2026 World Cup with significant expectations after appointing Carlo Ancelotti as manager.
The five-time world champions travelled to North America hoping to challenge for another global title under one of football’s most experienced coaches.
However, preparations for the tournament have not been straightforward. Ancelotti faced several important decisions before naming his squad.
One of the biggest involved Neymar, whose recent injury record sparked debate across Brazil. The veteran forward has struggled with fitness problems over the last few years.
He arrived at the tournament without playing regular football. Nevertheless, Ancelotti decided to include him in the squad despite concerns surrounding his condition.
Brazil then opened their World Cup campaign with a 1-1 draw against Morocco. Neymar did not feature in that match.
His absence immediately raised questions about when supporters could expect to see him return to action. However, the answer will not come this weekend
According to The Sun, Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti has decided to leave Neymar out of Saturday’s World Cup clash against Haiti because the forward has not yet returned to full fitness.
The 34-year-old only resumed full training on Wednesday and remains short of peak condition. As a result, Ancelotti does not want to take any unnecessary risks with one of his most important players.
Neymar has not played since suffering a minor calf injury on May 17.
Although he travelled with the Brazil squad to their World Cup training camp in New Jersey, he could not immediately participate in sessions with the rest of the group.
The Brazilian has not played for his national team since October 2023, when he suffered an ACL rupture during a World Cup qualifier against Uruguay.
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