Neymar will miss Brazil's second Group C match at the 2026 World Cup after the Brazilian football confederation confirmed the forward remains sidelined with a lingering calf injury. The 34-year-old will stay behind in New Jersey, where the squad is based during the tournament, rather than travel with his teammates to Philadelphia for Thursday's game against Haiti.

Neymar has been struggling with an injury to his right calf sustained on May 17 while playing for Santos, his club side. He underwent medical tests on Monday to assess his recovery and only returned to the training field on Tuesday for physical conditioning work, rejoining parts of the group session on Wednesday to applause from his teammates. However, the confederation said he would continue his rehabilitation at the team's hotel facilities and had yet to take part in a full training session with the squad.

Brazil, five-time World Cup champions, opened their campaign with a 1-1 draw against Morocco on Saturday. Haiti, meanwhile, lost their opening match 1-0 to Scotland, who lead Group C. The Brazilians will be eager to secure their first three points of the tournament, though the absence of their record goalscorer adds pressure to an already scrutinised campaign.

Neymar holds the all-time scoring record for the Brazilian national team with 79 goals, surpassing the legendary Pelé's tally of 77. He is aiming to appear in his fourth World Cup — his first was on home soil in Brazil in 2014 — but his inclusion in the squad by coach Carlo Ancelotti was the subject of considerable debate within Brazil given his injury history and fitness concerns heading into the tournament.

Whether Neymar will be fit enough to feature later in the group stage or in the knockout rounds remains uncertain. His continued absence raises broader questions about the decision to name him in the squad and about Brazil's attacking options should he fail to recover in time to make a meaningful contribution to the tournament.