Is Neymar Playing Tonight for Brazil vs Morocco at the World Cup?

Brazil, the most successful nation in World Cup history, begins their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign against Morocco in their opening Group C match.

Led by Carlo Ancelotti, the South American side will be looking to end a long wait for another world title, having last won the tournament in 2002.

Brazil secured qualification after recording eight wins, four draws and six defeats in 18 matches, finishing fifth and claiming one of CONMEBOL's six direct qualification spots. The Seleção also arrive in good form, having won each of their last three matches against Croatia, Panama and Egypt.

Their opponents, Morocco, continue to build on the success of recent years. The Atlas Lions became the first African nation in World Cup history to reach the semi-finals at the 2022 tournament.

They are also currently ranked seventh in the world, ahead of soccer powerhouses such as the Netherlands and Germany. Morocco were also crowned Africa Cup of Nations champions earlier this year after Senegal were stripped of their title following a controversial final.

Heading into this match, one of the biggest talking points is Neymar. The Santos forward was included in Brazil's World Cup squad amid significant fanfare, with the tournament expected to be his final appearance on football's biggest stage.

Is Neymar Playing Tonight for Brazil vs Morocco?

The 34-year-old suffered a calf injury while playing for Santos and has not been available for selection since then. Brazil's medical staff have been working to help him recover in time for the tournament, but he also missed the team's pre-World Cup friendly matches due to the injury.

Hence Neymar will not play in Brazil's opening World Cup match against Morocco.

Head coach Carlo Ancelotti confirmed the news and added that he expects the forward to return to the squad next week, although that timetable means his availability for Brazil's second group-stage match against Haiti on 20 June also remains uncertain.

"Neymar is working very hard to recover as quickly as possible," Ancelotti said.

"The expectation is that he will recover and rejoin the group next week. When we call up Neymar, we call him not only for his technical quality, which is indisputable, but also for his experience and the example he can set for the young players in this group."

Neymar has not yet returned to full training and continues to recover from the calf problem that ruled him out of Brazil's warm-up matches and now their World Cup opener.

After facing Morocco, Brazil will take on Haiti on 20 June before closing their group-stage campaign against Scotland on 24 June.

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This story was originally published June 13, 2026 at 1:00 PM.