Neymar could make his first appearance at this year’s World Cup when Brazil face Scotland on Thursday, with Carlo Ancelotti weighing whether the forward is fit enough to return after a calf injury that has kept him sidelined throughout the group stage so far.
The 34-year-old, recalled by Ancelotti after almost three years away from the national side, missed Brazil’s opening two matches against Morocco and Haiti. His absence only sharpened the intrigue around a player whose career has lurched from dazzling promise to a medical file thick enough to alarm even the most optimistic supporter.
Neymar last played for Brazil in 2023, when he suffered a serious knee injury against Uruguay in a World Cup qualifier. He was then sidelined for more than 650 days by a string of injuries sustained during spells in Saudi Arabia and at Santos, his boyhood club, where he returned last year in an attempt to revive his career. That comeback has been stop-start, with further injuries and fresh controversies interrupting his search for rhythm and sharpness.
This year he has scored six goals and provided four assists in 15 matches, never playing more than four consecutive games since returning from knee surgery in February.
After sitting out the matches against Morocco and Haiti, Neymar resumed full training last week. On Monday, he took part in his first tactical session under Ancelotti, who took charge of Brazil after leaving Real Madrid last year.
Teammate Gabriel Martinelli said Neymar looked ready. “He’s performing at a very high level and you could see the intensity in today’s training session,” Martinelli told a press conference on Monday. “You could see how keen he is to be with us, and his quality is unquestionable. Whether he’ll play or not is a question for the manager, but I think he’s in great shape.”
Brazil lead Group C on four points, level on goal difference with Morocco, while Scotland are third on three points. After a flat first half in a 1-1 draw with Morocco, Brazil recovered to beat Haiti 3-0 and will book their place in the Round of 32 as group winners if they win or draw against Scotland and Morocco fail to beat Haiti.
Ancelotti also faces a selection headache on the right wing, with Raphinha ruled out by a hamstring injury. Bournemouth youngster Rayan filled in against Haiti, but Zenit St Petersburg’s Luiz Henrique is the favourite to start against Scotland.
