Report: Neymar dealing with new injury; may miss Brazil’s opening World Cup game

Brazil star Neymar has suffered a new injury and could miss the start of the FIFA World Cup, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Romano reports Neymar will be out two to three weeks and will be sidelined for Brazil’s friendlies leading up to their opening game against Morocco on June 13 in New Jersey.

The 34-year-old was named to Carlo Ancelotti’s World Cup squad earlier this month despite a previous calf injury that raised questions about his fitness.

The Brazilian Football Confederation announced Neymar missed Brazil’s first training session on Wednesday as he continues to manage the issue.

According to the CBF medical department, the supplementary testing sought a precise diagnosis of Neymar’s injury, which has sidelined the Santos forward since May 17.

Brazil is set to play Panama on Sunday at the Maracana before travelling to the United States where they will take on Egypt in Cleveland in their final match ahead of the tournament.

A native of Sao Paulo, Neymar has not appeared for the Selecao since incurring an ACL rupture in an Oct. 2023 match with Uruguay. The injury kept him out of Copa America 2024.

Capped for the first time in 2010 at the age of 18, Neymar has appeared at three World Cups, two Copas America and the 2012 London Summer Olympics. Neymar’s 79 goals are a Brazilian record.

Even with Neymar’s absence, Ancelotti has formidable attacking power at his disposal. The Italian’s other forward options include Real Madrid’s Vini Jr., Raphinha of Barcelona, Bournemouth’s 19-year-old forward Rayan, Matheus Cunha of Manchester United, Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli, 19-year-old Endrick, who spent last season on loan from Real at Lyon, Zenit’s Luiz Henrique and Igor Thiago of Brentford.