The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) confirmed on Thursday (18/6) that Neymar will not travel with the Brazilian delegation to Philadelphia. The attacker stays in New Jersey while the rest of the group faces Haiti on Friday (19), at 9:30 p.m., for the second round of Group C of the 2026 World Cup.
The reason, according to CBF itself, is strategic: to preserve the recovery process of shirt 10.
"Enhanced the final phase of recovery"
In an official note, CBF explained that Neymar will remain at The Ridge hotel and Columbia Park CT to "optimize the final phase of its recovery process", taking advantage of the structure already installed in New Jersey. The decision started from Carlo Ancelotti's technical commission, which chose not to accelerate the player's return and avoid any risk of worsening the injury.
Neymar recovers from a grade two muscle injury to the right calf. Last Wednesday (17/6), he stepped in the field of cleats for the first time since the beginning of the preparation of the World Cup — an important advance, but still insufficient to play it in the match against Haiti.
What to expect in the coming days
The expectation of the technical committee is that Neymar will advance in physical reconditioning throughout the week and be available for the third round of the group phase — the last game of Brazil before the matata.
If recovery follows the schedule provided by the medical department, the attacker may debut at the World Cup precisely in this decisive match: Brazil x Scotland, scheduled for June 24th (Wednesday), at 19h (Time of Brasilia), at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami.
