Ancelotti confirms fit Neymar ready to face Scotland in Brazil's World Cup group finale

Neymar is in line to make his 2026 FIFA World Cup debut when Brazil take on Scotland in their Group C finale on Wednesday at Miami Stadium, with head coach Carlo Ancelotti declaring the forward fully fit after almost a month on the sidelines.

The Brazil superstar has been absent since sustaining a calf injury on May 17 while playing for Santos in Brazil. The initial recovery estimate of two to three weeks stretched to nearly four, but Ancelotti has now cleared him to feature.

“We are very happy that he is back,” Ancelotti said. “He is a high-quality player. He can play half the time or the whole 90 minutes. He is very well, he worked very hard, so he is ready.”

Ancelotti added: “His attitude is very good, he is in very good spirits, he’s a good player and teammate, he’s very serious and we want to put him back to play as soon as possible. He brings experience and knowledge, he is doing very well.”

Neymar’s last appearance for Brazil came in October 2023, in a World Cup qualifier against Uruguay. His most recent goal contribution for the national side was a strike against Bolivia the previous month.

The stakes are significant for Brazil heading into the match. They sit top of Group C on four points after two games, but Morocco — also on four points — close out their group stage against last-place Haiti simultaneously, meaning Brazil’s position is not guaranteed.

A win or draw against Scotland would be enough for Brazil to advance to the round of 32. Failure to progress from the group stage would be a historic embarrassment — the last time Brazil were eliminated at that stage was at the 1966 World Cup in England.