Neymar signing for Brazil: Superstar begins training ahead of World Cup match in Haiti

Brazil received an early boost for the 2026 World Cup after Neymar resumed training on Tuesday (16 June) and took the first steps towards a comeback since the start of the tournament. The 34-year-old, Brazil’s all-time top scorer in men’s international football, was seen doing a one-on-one fitness program in videos circulating on social media. While he has returned to training, Neymar has yet to progress to ball training or full-contact with the rest of the team.

The striker has not represented Brazil since 2023 and was unavailable Selecao Group C opener against Morocco June 14th. Without their talisman, Brazil held the African side to a 1-1 draw.

NEYMAR IS STILL EXPECTING THE MISS HAITI GAME

While Neymar’s return to the training ground is an encouraging development, he is expected to miss Brazil’s upcoming Group C clash against Haiti. The five-time world champions are scheduled to face Haiti on Saturday (June 20 IST) at 6:30 am IST.

Haiti entered the competition after opening their campaign with a narrow 1-0 loss to Scotland.

Neymar injured his right calf last month shortly after being included in Carlo Ancelotti’s World Cup squad. Ahead of Brazil’s opening match at the New York New Jersey Stadium, Ancelotti revealed the veteran forward is making good progress in his recovery and is likely to return to training within the next week.

“Neymar is working very hard to recover as quickly as possible,” Ancelotti said on Friday.

“We called him up not only for his football skills, which are indisputable, but also for the experience and example he can provide to the younger players in the squad,” he added.

Neymar has scored eight goals in his three appearances at the FIFA World Cupincluding four for the 2014 edition and two each for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments.

– The end

Published on:

17 Jun 2026 01:11 IST