Carlo Ancelotti has ruled Neymar out of Brazil's World Cup opener against Morocco because of a lingering calf injury. He said the forward could rejoin group training next week, but Brazil's opening match comes too soon. Neymar has not featured for Brazil since tearing his ACL in October 2023.

Why Brazil are waiting on Neymar

Ancelotti delivered the update on the eve of Brazil vs Morocco, and the message was pretty clear. Neymar is working back, not back already.

That matters because Brazil have been waiting on his return for a long time, and the national team has not seen him since October 2023. Cafu was positive about what Neymar still offers when he is right, saying: "Neymar can be important for any team. Seeing Neymar playing well, physically and technically, that can help the Brazil team a lot."

The practical point is more immediate. Ancelotti's timeline points to training next week, which is close enough to keep hope alive, but not close enough for Morocco.

Brazil still have enough to start without him

There is no shortage of attacking talent around the absence. Brazil's starting XI against Morocco included Vinicius, Brahim Díaz, Bruno Guimarães, Casemiro, Gabriel Magalhães and Marquinhos, so this is not a side built around one man alone.

Vinicius also came into the game with a 7.61 rating against Morocco, plus one goal and two key passes. Brazil's recent World Cup wins, Serbia 2-0, Switzerland 1-0 and South Korea 4-1, are another reminder that they can function without Neymar if the rest of the attack does its job.

Morocco are not a soft opener either. Achraf Hakimi, Brahim Díaz and Neil El Aynaoui started in a 4-2-3-1 shape, which makes the game a serious test even before Neymar's fitness is part of the conversation.

For now, though, the story is still the same one that has followed Brazil into the tournament. The recall has happened, the comeback has not quite landed, and the next checkpoint is training next week.

Compiled by the ClutchBrief Desk with AI assistance, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →