Is Neymar Playing Tonight for Brazil vs Haiti at the World Cup?
Brazil takes on Haiti in their second match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at the Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia today.
Carlo Ancelloti's squad will be desperate to secure a win after last match's draw where they had to come from behind against Morocco in order to avoid a loss.
While much was expected from the Selecao in the build up to the tournament, the draw had a bit of a dampening effect on the fans considering they are among the favourites to win the cup.
Despite the initial disappointment, Brazil now have a real chance to move a step closer to the knockout stage if they can pull off an impressive victory against a team that is considered one of the minnows of the tournament.
Apart from the dropped points, another setback the team has had to deal with was the absence of Neymar. The Santos striker, still dealing with an injured calf, was not available for selection but turned up in the Brazil dugout to support his teammates.
According to earlier reports, the 34-year-old was expected to be fit for Brazil's match against Haiti but the return date has been pushed further back after the former Barcelona star failed to recover completely.
Is Neymar Playing for Brazil vs Haiti?
The Brazilian Football Confederation confirmed on Thursday that Neymar won't be travelling with the team to Philadelphia for the match against Haiti.
As per the statement from CBF, the veteran forward will be focussing on his last phase of recovery after returning to the training field for the first time on Tuesday.
"He will remain in New Jersey to optimize the final phase of his recovery process, making use of the excellent facilities at The Ridge hotel and the Columbia Park training center," it read.
As per sources, Brazil's medical staff expects Neymar to be fit for the knockout stages, effectively ruling him out from the match against Scotland as well.
The CBF also stated that the Santos forward repeated the medical examination he underwent a week ago although results from the test are yet to be released.
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This story was originally published June 19, 2026 at 3:01 PM.