Brazil star Neymar will miss his country’s World Cup opener against Morocco.

Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed that star forward Neymar will not be available for the team’s opening match of the 2026 World Cup against Morocco.

The news comes as a significant setback for Brazil, who begin their campaign with what is expected to be the toughest fixture in their group stage schedule.

Neymar had recently earned his first Brazil call-up since suffering a serious ACL injury during an international friendly against Uruguay in October 2023. The injury kept him sidelined for an extended period and raised questions about his international future.

Despite battling his way back into contention, the 34-year-old suffered another setback shortly before the tournament after picking up a calf injury during preparations.

Even with concerns over his fitness, Ancelotti opted to include the experienced forward in Brazil’s World Cup squad, hoping he could recover in time to contribute during the competition.

However, speaking ahead of Saturday’s clash with Morocco, the Brazil coach admitted that Neymar is not yet ready to return to action and will remain unavailable for the opening game.

Ancelotti revealed that the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain star continues to work hard behind the scenes as he focuses on regaining full fitness. The Italian remains hopeful that Neymar can rejoin full training in the coming days.

While Brazil will have to begin their World Cup journey without one of their greatest players, the five-time world champions remain optimistic that Neymar can play a role later in the tournament.