Will Neymar play against Morocco tonight? Carlo Ancelotti gives a big fitness update

Brazil will begin their 2026 World Cup campaign without Neymar after head coach Carlo Ancelotti confirmed the star forward will not be available for their Group C opener against Morocco.The Selecao will take on Morocco at the MetLife Stadium on June 14 (IST), in what will be their first match of the tournament. Neymar has been racing against time to recover from the calf injury he suffered in the build-up to the World Cup, but Ancelotti revealed the striker will not be fit for the clash.Ancelotti gave an update on Neymar’s condition, telling FotMob: “He is working hard to get fit as quickly as possible. We hope he can return to full training next week.”While the opener came too soon for the Brazilian talisman, there remains optimism in the camp that it could come later in the group stage. Brazil’s remaining games are against Haiti on June 19 and Scotland on June 24, and Ancelotti hopes Neymar will be available for those games.Brazil’s meeting with Morocco will mark only the second World Cup match between the two nations. Their only previous meeting on football’s biggest stage came during the 1998 group stage, when Brazil secured a 3-0 victory. The match is remembered for Ronaldo Nazario and Rivaldo scoring their first ever World Cup goals.History also favors the five-time champions when they face African opposition in the tournament. Brazil have won seven of their eight World Cup matches against African teams, with their only defeat coming against Cameroon in 2022 when they lost 1-0.The competition has added significance as it is the only group stage match to feature two nations currently ranked in the FIFA top 10. Brazil enter the tournament ranked sixth in the world, while Morocco are ranked eighth.Despite Neymar’s absence, Ancelotti remains confident of his side’s chances entering the tournament.“It’s a team that can compete with anyone,” added Ancelotti.“We can face any team. We have the technical quality and experience and we are absolutely confident that we can face any team. We feel good about this World Cup. We are ready and prepared. There is no clear favorite at the World Cup at the moment. Several teams will have the opportunity to compete until the end,” concluded Brazil’s head coach.