Brazil will begin their 2026 World Cup campaign without Neymar after coach Carlo Ancelotti confirmed the star striker would not be available for the team’s opening Group C match against Morocco.The Seleção are scheduled to face Morocco at MetLife Stadium on June 14 (IST) in their first match in the tournament. Neymar was racing against time to recover from a calf injury he suffered while preparing for the World Cup, but Ancelotti revealed that the striker would not be ready for the match.Speaking about Neymar’s condition, Ancelotti told FotMob: “He is working hard to get back to fitness as quickly as possible. We hope he can return to full training next week.”While the opener came too soon for the Brazilian star, there is optimism within the camp that he could feature later in the group stage. Brazil’s remaining matches will be against Haiti on June 19, then against Scotland on June 24, and Ancelotti hopes that Neymar will be available for those matches.Brazil’s meeting with Morocco will mark only the second World Cup encounter between the two countries. The only previous meeting between the two teams in a major tournament came during the group stage in 1998, when Brazil won 3-0. The match is remembered when Ronaldo Nazario and Rivaldo scored their first goals in the World Cup.
History also favors the five-time champions when they face an African opponent in the tournament. Brazil has won seven of its eight World Cup matches against African teams, with its only defeat coming to Cameroon in 2022, when they lost 1-0.The competition carries extra significance as it is the only group stage match to feature two teams currently ranked in the top ten of the FIFA Rankings. Brazil enters the tournament ranked sixth in the world, while Morocco ranks eighth.Despite Neymar’s absence, Ancelotti remains confident in his team’s chances before the tournament.“This is a team that can compete with any team,” Ancelotti added.The Brazil coach concluded his speech by saying: “We can face any team. We have the technical quality and experience and we are completely confident in our ability to face any team. We have a good feeling about this World Cup. We are prepared and prepared. At this stage there is no clear candidate for the World Cup. Many teams will have the opportunity to compete until the end.”