MORRISTOWN, U.S. – Brazil’s national football team has delivered an encouraging health update on Monday: Brazilian superstar Neymar is bouncing back at a solid pace from a nagging calf injury that had thrown his availability for the start of the country’s World Cup run into serious question.
As the Brazil Football Confederation (CBF) outlined in an official statement, the all-time leading goalscorer for Brazil completed a mandatory MRI scan earlier on Monday. The results of the scan confirmed that his rehabilitation is progressing according to the optimistic timeline the medical team laid out, lifting hopes that he will be fit to feature for Carlo Ancelotti’s squad during the tournament held in the United States.
Per CBF’s announcement, Neymar will stick to the structured recovery plan and targeted fitness regimen that has been mapped out exclusively by the Brazilian national team’s medical staff. There will be no adjustments to the program at this stage to avoid any risk of setback.
The 34-year-old forward, who currently plies his trade with Santos after previous spells at European giants Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, first received his calf injury diagnosis in late September. Since that announcement, he has been in a frantic race against the clock to regain full match fitness in time for the World Cup, which kicks off for Brazil this coming Saturday with a high-profile opening group stage match against Morocco in New Jersey.
This tournament marks Neymar’s fourth consecutive World Cup appearance, having been a core contributor to Brazil’s squads in the last three editions. His inclusion in the 2025 squad did draw some surprise across global football circles, however, as recurring injury issues have kept him from making any international appearances for Brazil since the end of 2023.
Head coach Carlo Ancelotti pushed back against concerns last week, doubling down on his confidence that the veteran attacker would be fit to feature in either the opening fixture against Morocco or Brazil’s second group stage match. Ancelotti also emphasized that the team would not rush Neymar’s return to action, prioritizing his long-term fitness over an early comeback, “There’s no reason to force him back before he’s 100% ready,” the coach noted.