Despite holding icon status in Brazil, Neymar’s inclusion in his country’s squad for the World Cup 2026 was a significant surprise.
Now 34, the Selecao record scorer had not played international football for almost three years at the start of the finals, having suffered a serious knee injury during a World Cup qualifier in October 2023.
That meant Neymar barely featured for Saudi side Al-Hilal, who he joined for £77.6 million from Paris Saint-Germain in August 2023, before signing for Brazilian giants Santos in January 2025.
Here’s how Neymar and Brazil’s schedule looks at the finals, including where to watch, kick-off times and the latest on his fitness.
Neymar World Cup fixtures: Confirmed schedule, kick off times
Brazil face Morocco, Haiti and Scotland during the group stage. Here’s when those games take place and their subsequent potential fixtures, as well as the UK TV channel.
Asterisk denotes match starting the previous day in specified territory.
| Date | Match | Result | Stage | Time (BST) | ET | PT | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 13 | Morocco | Group | 23:00 | 18:00 | 15:00 | BBC | |
| June 20 | Haiti | Group | 01:30 | 20:30* | 17:30* | ITV | |
| June 24 | Scotland | Group | 23:00 | 18:00* | 15:00* | BBC | |
| June 29/30 | TBC | Round of 32 | TBC | TBC | TBC | TBC | |
| July 4/5 | TBC | Round of 16 | TBC | TBC | TBC | TBC | |
| July 9/11 | TBC | Quarter-finals | TBC | TBC | TBC | TBC | |
| July 14/15 | TBC | Semi-finals | TBC | TBC | TBC | TBC | |
| July 18 | TBC | Third-placed match | 22:00 | 17:00 | 12:00 | TBC | |
| July 19 | TBC | Final | 20:00 | 15:00 | 10:00 | BBC, ITV |
Is Neymar playing in the World Cup 2026? Injury updates
Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti left Neymar out of a squad as recently as March and the former Barcelona marksman had a knee procedure in April in an attempt to be fit for the finals.
Ancelotti then selected Neymar, who had played 682 minutes in 2026, before he suffered a calf injury in late May that was expected to keep him out for between two to three weeks.
Neymar did not travel with Brazil to their warm-up matches for the World Cup but the Selecao said on June 8 that he was making “good progress”, suggesting he could join training before their opening match at the finals on June 12.
The 2021 Copa America Best Player has 128 caps and broke Pele’s record by scoring the 78th of his 79 international goals during Brazil’s World Cup qualifier against Bolivia in September 2023, but ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament against Uruguay the following month.
Neymar next match at FIFA World Cup 2026
Neymar’s next potential match at the World Cup will be Brazil’s opener against Morocco at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on June 12 at 23:00 BST.
Brazil World Cup squad: Full confirmed list
Ancelotti named his squad on May 18.
Goalkeepers: Alisson (Liverpool), Ederson (Fenerbahce), Weverton (Gremio).
Defenders: Alex Sandro, Danilo, Leo Pereira (Flamengo), Bremer (Juventus), Ibanez (Al-Ahli), Ederson (Atalanta), Marquinhos (PSG), Gabriel (Arsenal), Douglas Santos (Zenit St Petersburg)
Midfielders: Bruno Guimaraes (Newcastle), Casemiro (Manchester United), Danilo Santos (Botafogo), Fabinho (Al-Ittihad), Lucas Paqueta (Flamengo)
Forwards: Endrick (Lyon), Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal), Igor Thiago (Brentford), Matheus Cunha (Man United), Raphinha (Barcelona), Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid), Luiz Henrique (Zenit), Neymar (Santos), Rayan (Bournemouth)
World Cup 2026: Who could Brazil replace Neymar with?
Brazil are among the favourites to win the World Cup and Ancelotti is not short of forward options who have been prolific across Europe since Neymar last played regularly.
Gabriel Martinelli won the 2025/26 Premier League with Arsenal, Igor Thiago scored 22 times for Brentford to finish as the second-top scorer in last season’s English top flight and Matheus Cunha netted nine times in his final 21 appearances of the season for Manchester United.
Newcomer Rayan, 19, scored in three consecutive games across April and May to help Bournemouth qualify for Europe for the first time, and Luiz Henrique repeated that feat for Zenit in the Russian Premier League.
Raphinha had an injury-strewn season but scored 13 times in 22 La Liga games for Barcelona, with Vinicius Junior matching that total across the Spanish top flight and the Champions League for Real Madrid.
Los Blancos loaned Endrick to Lyon, where the 19-year-old contributed five goals and seven assists in 16 appearances in Ligue 1.
Spain, France, Argentina, England, Portugal and Germany are among the likeliest candidates Brazil will have to see off if they are to add to their record five titles, although they have not triumphed since lifting the trophy when the 2002 World Cup was held in Japan and South Korea.
After missing two games at the 2022 World Cup with an ankle injury, Neymar produced two goals and one assists but was part of a team knocked out by Croatia in the quarter-finals.
The result ensured he has never played beyond the last eight of the tournament, having been ever-present and contributed two goals and two assists before Brazil were knocked out at that stage by Belgium in 2018.
At his first World Cup in 2014, Neymar finished on four goals and one assist in five games but missed Brazil’s 7-1 semi-final defeat to Germany and 3-0 third-placed match loss to the Netherlands through injury.
