Neymar’s future in the 2026 World Cup album remains uncertain as the decision still depends on his recovery and form/Getty Images
There was a time when it was impossible to exclude Neymar from anything World Cup-related. For more than a decade, he was not just part of Brazil’s story, he was its face, leading the team through tournaments, dominating highlights and, at his peak, sitting in the same conversation as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi when the game was about individual brilliance.This time, however, Neymar’s name was absent from Panini’s official World Cup sticker album, which came as a surprise, but not a shock, given how Neymar has been somewhat sidelined in recent years. It wasn’t a straightforward decision, and it certainly wasn’t a fixed decision. But it highlighted Neymar’s position now, between recovery, uncertainty and a race against time for what could be his last World Cup.
What Panini’s World Cup album actually is, and why the inclusion matters
The album in question is the official collection produced by Panini Group, the Italian publisher that has owned the rights to the World Cup posters for decades. For 2026, as the tournament expands to include 48 teams across the United States, Canada and Mexico, the group has grown with it. The book contains 980 stickers, making it the largest in Panini’s history.
To accommodate the expanded tournament, each national team is now represented by a limited number of players, with Brazil, for example, having 18 places.
Production of the album began in 2025, once the qualifying tracks became clear, and the print volume was increased accordingly. This included a major expansion of the Baruiri plant in Brazil, which was operating 24 hours a day in three shifts to meet growing demand.
Neymar in Panini’s 2018 and 2022 World Cup albums
The crucial aspect lies in how those names are chosen. Within Panini, a dedicated team meticulously tracks national team call-ups, player form, injuries and selection patterns over a long period of time.
Instead of waiting for the final squads to be announced, they start their work early, building a probabilistic model that helps them predict, with a high degree of accuracy, which players are most likely to be called up.Raul Vallecello, CEO of Panini in Brazil, explained the process in detail, outlining a system based on the recent participation of the national team and the probability of selection, speaking to Globo.:“There is a department that constantly monitors the call-ups and calculates the probability of each player being in the World Cup. Of course there are differences, injuries and surprises, but the final selection is made on the basis of these criteria. We work with probabilities based on the latest recalls. This determines whether the player will be included or not. The chance of it being on the album depends directly on these callbacks. If the player is not called up or does not perform for the national team at that moment, the possibility of his inclusion diminishes.Production of the Brazil pages began in 2025, once qualification became clear enough to make these projections. By then, Neymar had not played for Brazil in over a year, making his inclusion on the album uncertain. This absence from the national team played a major role in the decision, as it reflects the current reality more than anything else.
Injury in Montevideo and continuity broken
Neymar’s last appearance with Brazil was in October 2023 against Uruguay in Montevideo.
During that match, he suffered a serious knee injury and a torn anterior cruciate ligament, in addition to meniscus damage. That injury required surgery and a long rehabilitation period, and kept him out of international football for a long time. Brazil played subsequent matches without him, and the call-up cycle continued with other players.
In a system built on recent choices rather than the previous state, this absence becomes important.That’s why players like Vinicius Junior and Rafinha were included, alongside Rodrigo and younger names like Estévao and Willian. Even when it comes to injuries, they remained part of Brazil’s latest squad, making it highly likely they will feature when Panini’s selections are finalized.
Neymar’s situation during the same period was affected as much by his club career as by his absence from international matches. In August 2023, he left Paris Saint-Germain to join Al Hilal, signing a two-year contract worth around €300 million in salary, with the total value rising towards €400 million once commercial agreements were included, while the Saudi club paid a transfer fee of around €90 million.
The move put him at the heart of the expansion of the Saudi Professional League, but his time there was short and frequently interrupted.
He played five matches with Al Hilal before suffering a knee injury while on international duty. The recovery kept him out of action for more than a year, during which the club shuffled its lineup and removed him from its registered list to make room for a foreign player. His return in October 2024 lasted just two games as a substitute before another setback followed, a grade 2 hamstring tear in early November.
By January 28, 2025, Al Hilal and Neymar reached a mutual agreement to terminate the contract seven months early.
Throughout that period, he made seven appearances and scored one goal.
He returned to Santos in 2025, the club where he started his career, with the aim of rebuilding fitness and finding continuity again. This process is still ongoing, and coincides with Brazil’s preparations for the World Cup.
Where Brazil stands before the team announcement
The final decision on Neymar’s return to the national team rests with Brazil’s coach, Carlo Ancelotti, who is scheduled to announce his squad on May 18. His evaluation focused largely on physical condition. Rey, a former Brazil international and part of the 1994 World Cup-winning team, spoke about Neymar’s current form during an appearance on French program Rothen S’enflamme: “If he comes, he will have an impact on the team. Ancelotti measures the players to see what they are thinking. He is a skilled coach, and he will know how to know if Neymar is having a positive impact on the team. He is not at his best; he has had a lot of physical problems. He cannot return to his best form; he has lost speed. Of course, he still makes great passes – he is a star – but I think now.” “He’s not at the level he needs to be.”The poster album does not specify whether Neymar will participate in the World Cup or not. It reflects the state of affairs when those selections were made, a period shaped by injury, absence from recent squads and a tumultuous run at club level. For a player who’s been present in every version for over a decade, this shift is noticeable, even in something as small as a sticker book.
