Neymar injured again, likely to miss Brazil national team call-up

Forward Neymar is reported to have encountered physical issues, and is highly likely to be absent from the upcoming Brazil national team gathering.

According to sources from Reuters, Neymar will not participate in the match between Santos and Mirassol in the Brazilian championship on Tuesday due to persistent muscle fatigue. This is considered a new setback for hopes of returning to the Brazil national team for this forward ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

Santos stated that Neymar's absence is merely precautionary. However, this timing is quite sensitive as Brazil national team head coach Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed plans to travel from Rio de Janeiro to Sao Paulo to personally observe the performance of the 34-year-old player.

Sources related to the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) and the national team coaching staff informed Reuters that Neymar not playing in this match surprised and disappointed both CBF and Ancelotti, as they hoped to directly assess the form of the former Barcelona player.

Ancelotti previously emphasized that he only calls up players who are in the best physical condition and meet the fitness requirements of the Brazil national team. Missing the Tuesday match could therefore cause Neymar to lose the opportunity to be included in the squad list announced on March 16, preparing for two friendly matches against France and Croatia.

Neymar is currently the greatest scorer in Brazil national team history with 79 goals in 128 appearances. However, he has not played for the national team since October 2023, when he suffered a serious knee ligament injury significantly affecting his return to the pitch.

Since returning to his childhood club Santos in January 2025, Neymar has occasionally shown glimpses of his peak form. Nevertheless, he has yet to maintain a consistent run of matches.

Meanwhile, the Selecao's attack currently has many options performing well, such as Vinicius, Estevao, Raphinha, Joao Pedro, Gabriel Martinelli, Endrick, Igor Jesus, and Matheus Cunha.

Ancelotti will continue his trip to avoid creating the impression that he came to Brazil solely to monitor Neymar, even though that was indeed the main purpose of the visit.

According to plans, Neymar could return in the match against Corinthians at Vila Belmiro. However, Ancelotti will be in Rio de Janeiro to watch the Botafogo vs. Flamengo match on the same day, while the Italian strategist's assistants will be tasked with monitoring the Corinthians match.