Neymar set to miss Brazil's World Cup opener as Yamal and Pulisic also race to be fit

Neymar is all but certain to miss Brazil’s 2026 World Cup opener against Morocco in New York on Saturday after sustaining a grade two calf injury in the build-up to the tournament, with several other high-profile players also managing fitness concerns at the start of the competition in North America.

The 34-year-old, who has not represented Brazil in nearly three years, was a surprise inclusion in Carlo Ancelotti’s 26-man squad. Recovery from the calf injury is ongoing, but Ancelotti remains cautiously optimistic about Neymar’s availability for Brazil’s second group game against Haiti next Friday.

“Neymar is working very hard to recover as quickly as possible,” Ancelotti said in his pre-match press conference on Friday. “The expectation is that he can rejoin the group [training] next week.”

Spain are also monitoring the fitness of Lamine Yamal ahead of their opener against Cape Verde on Monday. The 18-year-old winger has been sidelined since 22 April with a left hamstring injury but returned to full training with the squad at their base in Tennessee. Coach Luis de la Fuente insists he expects Yamal to be “ready to play,” even if his involvement is limited to “just a few minutes.” Fellow winger Nico Williams also returned to training on Thursday, while Arsenal midfielder Mikel Merino has fully recovered from a foot problem.

Christian Pulisic was withdrawn at half-time during the United States’ 4-1 win over Paraguay in Los Angeles after taking a knock to his calf, though the injury is not believed to be serious. Coach Mauricio Pochettino said the decision was precautionary.

“He received a kick in his calf and he felt tight at the end of the first half,” Pochettino said. “We didn’t want to take any risks. It was difficult for him to walk, but we hope that it is not a big issue and he can be ready for the next one.”

Pulisic himself struck an optimistic tone: “I just got a bit of a kick in the first half, so I’m really hoping that it’s nothing. Taking a little bit of precaution today, but I’m hoping I’ll be fine the next few days.” The USA face Australia in San Francisco on Friday.

Canada captain Alphonso Davies also sat out his side’s 1-1 opening draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto, though there is hope he could return for their next fixture.