RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil — A sudden calf injury has thrown 34-year-old Brazilian football star Neymar’s participation in the opening match of the upcoming World Cup into serious question, the Brazilian men’s national team’s medical head Rodrigo Lasmar confirmed in a press briefing Thursday.
The injury, which Lasmar confirmed will require between 14 and 21 days of targeted treatment and rehabilitation, has already ruled the Al Hilal forward, who recently returned to his boyhood club Santos on a short-term deal, out of Brazil’s two scheduled pre-tournament warm-up friendlies. Those exhibition matches, scheduled to take place ahead of the World Cup kickoff against Panama and Egypt, will proceed without the team’s most high-profile attacking playmaker.
Beyond the friendlies, however, the timeline for recovery also casts uncertainty over whether Neymar will be fit enough to feature when Brazil kicks off their World Cup campaign against Morocco on June 13. Following Neymar’s complaint of discomfort after training, the medical team conducted an MRI to assess the damage, which revealed a grade two muscle strain in the calf.
“Our current medical expectation is that he will be cleared to return to team activity and available for selection within that two to three week window,” Lasmar explained, adding that the medical staff will adjust the rehabilitation plan as Neymar progresses to avoid any risk of re-injury ahead of the tournament.
For Brazilian fans, the news comes as a major blow ahead of what is widely expected to be Neymar’s final appearance at a World Cup. The five-time champions have relied on Neymar’s creative attacking output for more than a decade, and his absence from the opening match would force head coach Dorival Júnior to adjust his starting lineup just days before the tournament gets underway.