Neymar's Return to Brazil Training Raises Questions Ahead of World Cup

Neymar is back on the grass with Brazil – but still nowhere near the team sheet.

The country’s record goalscorer, sitting on 79 international goals, only rejoined full training with the squad at the World Cup in the United States this week after a right calf injury. He watched from the sidelines as Brazil opened their campaign with a laboured 1-1 draw against Morocco, and he will watch again when they face Haiti later on Friday.

At 34, and after months of patchy fitness, Neymar has become the central character in a World Cup story he has barely entered.

Ancelotti holds the brakes

Carlo Ancelotti has made his stance clear through his selections. Neymar was left out of the opener, and despite finally training with his teammates for the first time on Wednesday, he has again been omitted from the squad for the second group match.

The message: Brazil want him in this tournament, but not at any cost.

Brazilian media report that Ancelotti and his staff are determined not to rush the all-time top scorer back and risk losing him for the knockout stages. With his recent history, they cannot afford another breakdown. Diagnosed in late May with a calf problem, Neymar has managed only half of Santos’ matches this year, his season punctured by one fitness issue after another.

He has not played for the Seleção since October 2023. That long absence, coupled with his recurring injuries, made his call-up a talking point even before a ball was kicked in the United States. For three straight World Cup cycles he has been the axis of Brazil’s attacking play. This time, he is the question mark.

Lula’s jabs and a “remote” star

If the medical bulletins have been cautious, the political commentary has been anything but.

Brazilian president Lula has spent the week turning Neymar’s situation into a running gag. When a young boy mentioned the forward’s name, Lula shot back: “Neymar? He is not even playing!”

He then twisted the knife with another quip: “Neymar is the first player to be called up (to the national team) who is working remotely.” The 80-year-old delivered the line during a ceremony at a hospital in Belo Horizonte, his tone light but his point unmistakable: Brazil’s biggest name is, for now, a distant presence.

Lula has clearly enjoyed the role of sideline commentator. After the draw with Morocco, he even joked he was considering signing Lionel Messi to play for Brazil. The humour lands because there is a void where Neymar usually is – on the pitch, demanding the ball, drawing fouls, dragging his country forward.

A delicate countdown to Miami

Inside the camp, the mood is very different. Brazil know that their ceiling in this tournament still changes if Neymar returns anything close to his best. They also know his body has not kept pace with his talent in recent years.

That is why this week’s training session matters. On Wednesday, for the first time at this World Cup, Neymar stepped back into full work with the group. No more isolated drills, no more watching from a distance. A small step, but a necessary one.

The calendar adds its own pressure. Brazil finish their group stage against Scotland in Miami on June 24. That date now hangs over every medical report, every training load, every decision Ancelotti makes.

Risk him early and lose him late? Or hold him back and hope the team are still alive when he is finally ready to change a game?

For once in a Brazil World Cup campaign, Neymar is not the automatic starter, not the unquestioned focal point. He is the gamble. And Ancelotti, for now, is refusing to roll the dice.