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Brazil forward Neymar is a doubt for the country's 2026 World Cup opener against Morocco on June 13 after sustaining a calf injury, the national team's doctor Rodrigo Lasmar confirmed on Thursday.
An MRI scan identified a grade two muscle injury, Lasmar said at Brazil's pre-tournament training center outside Rio de Janeiro, adding that the expectation is for Neymar to be available within two to three weeks.
The 34-year-old Santos striker will miss Brazil's two pre-tournament friendlies against Panama and Egypt. He joined his international teammates at the training center on Wednesday but did not participate in the first session.
Neymar had been carrying what his club coach Cuca described as a slight injury in the lead-up to the tournament, and missed Santos's last few matches as a result.
His place in coach Carlo Ancelotti's 26-man squad had already drawn attention, as Neymar had not featured for the national team in nearly three years.
A combination of injuries and poor form kept him out of Brazil's squad for the March friendlies against France and Croatia, with Ancelotti citing fitness concerns at the time.
Despite the uncertainty, Neymar remains Brazil's all-time leading scorer with 79 goals in 128 appearances for the Selecao. This will be his fourth World Cup. His last appearance for Brazil came in 2023 during a World Cup qualifier against Uruguay.
Under FIFA regulations, final squads must be submitted by June 1. After that deadline, changes are only permitted in cases of serious injury or illness.
Brazil is placed in Group C and will face Morocco on June 13, followed by Haiti and Scotland.
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