Brazil to be without star forward for World Cup opener vs Morocco

Brazil to be without star forward for World Cup opener vs Morocco originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

On Saturday afternoon, Brazil is slated to begin the Carlo Ancelotti era of the national team’s history as they take on African powerhouse Morocco for the first game of their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign.

A Seleção is set to go into the tournament with a world-class forward department, with their offensive battery including the likes of Vinicius Jr, Raphinia, Endrick, and Gabriel Martinelli, amongst others.

This has made them one of the more formidable front lines in the tournament, but it appears they’re set to be missing a big piece when they take on The Atlas Lions on Saturday evening.

Neymar is still on the path to full fitness

As reported by Fabrizio Romano, Brazil will be without Neymar for their World Cup opener, but he will be on the cards for a return in the subsequent matches.

The 34-year-old is currently recovering from a Grade 2 calf strain, which he suffered from in mid-May during a match for Santos in the Brazilian top flight.

This injury was one of the reasons that Neymar’s inclusion in A Seleção’s camp for the upcoming tournament was so controversial, given that it wasn’t a guarantee for him to return at all during the global spectacle.

Another reason that his selection was questioned by some was his mixed performances for Santos this season, recording six goal involvements across eight appearances for the Peixe, with the 34-year-old’s availability being limited due to various injuries sustained over the course of the season.

If Romano’s claim is to be true, it would mean that Neymar will return to the squad for Brazil’s match against Haiti on June 19, which will be their penultimate match of the tournament.

However, for the rest of the Brazilian squad, they will start their World Cup campaign off on Saturday evening, with kick-off against Morocco slated for 6:00 p.m. EST.

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