Brazil will take on Haiti in their second World Cup 2026 group-stage match on Saturday early morning without Neymar, despite the star attacker recently returning to training with his teammates. Neymar suffered a fresh injury shortly after reporting for international duty and has not recovered sufficiently for selection.
While Neymar remains at Brazil's base camp in New Jersey to continue his recovery, the rest of Carlo Ancelotti's squad has departed for Philadelphia, where the fixture will kick off at 1:30 BST. This follows Brazil's 1-1 opening draw against Morocco on June 13, which also saw Neymar sidelined.
There is cautious optimism that Neymar may be fit enough to feature in Brazil's subsequent match against Scotland on Wednesday, June 24. According to Sky Sport Italia's Gianluca Di Marzio, the five-time World Cup winners are assessing the player's recovery timeline ahead of the crucial fixture.
Neymar's confirmed absence affects Brazil's attacking depth for the Haiti match, potentially shifting markets that typically price in the star forward's participation and goal-scoring contribution expectations.
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