Neymar out – Less than 24 hours before kick-off at MetLife Stadium, Brazil confirmed Neymar Jr. will not play against Morocco, citing his recovery from a grade-two calf tear suffered last month.
On Saturday night at MetLife Stadium, Brazil will kick off its 2026 World Cup campaign without Neymar Jr.—and the timing of that absence has the kind of weight that can tilt a group stage before the first whistle.
Brazil is scheduled to face Morocco at 6:00 p.m. ET in a Group C opener that has been circled for weeks. The matchup has been framed as a collision between a Brazil side considered among the favorites and an Atlas Lions team entering as a dark-horse threat. Morocco’s profile rose further after its run to the semifinals in Qatar in 2022 and its Africa Cup of Nations title last year.
But with kickoff approaching. Brazil delivered the major blow: Neymar will sit out the Morocco match as he continues rehabbing a grade-two calf tear suffered just last month. Brazil’s medical staff said recently that Neymar is making “good progress. ” with the target being a return to training and a possible debut next week against Haiti on June 19 in Philadelphia.
For a 34-year-old nearing the end of his career, the concern isn’t academic. Neymar has previously battled a brutal ACL and meniscus tear in 2023. and the latest injury has reopened fears that he could be forced to miss more than just one game. There was already worry he might miss all three of Brazil’s group stage matches.
That anxiety is sharpened by what Neymar still represents on the pitch. Even with age and recent setbacks, he remains the kind of player who can change a match in minutes. With Brazil’s toughest matchup of the group stage coming immediately. his absence forces attention onto who picks up the scoring and playmaking slack—especially against a Morocco team known for pace. physicality. and discipline.
The stakes aren’t theoretical either. Morocco’s path to Qatar’s semifinals and last year’s Africa Cup of Nations triumph suggests it can handle pressure and execute. And as Brazil tries to establish control early in Group C, the opening match becomes a test not only of tactics, but of depth.
Kickoff is set for 6:00 p.m. ET, and Morocco will step into the match with a clear, immediate advantage: Neymar won’t be there to meet them.
Brazil Neymar Morocco 2026 FIFA World Cup Group C MetLife Stadium calf tear Haiti June 19 Philadelphia