Why Neymar Isn’t Playing for Brazil vs. Scotland at 2026 World Cup
Despite Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti confirming that Neymar is in line to play a significant role in his side’s meeting with Scotland on Wednesday, the nation’s all-time top scorer did not feature in the starting XI.
The 34-year-old has missed the first two of Brazil’s group matches at the World Cup with a calf injury picked up shortly after he was named in the final roster, but has spent the past few days in full training with the rest of his teammates.
“He is available, he trained very well this week,” Ancelotti confirmed on the eve of the game. “He is fit and able and ready to play. We are very happy he is back. He is a high-quality player.
“He can play from half time or the whole 90 minutes. He is very well, he worked very hard, so he is ready.
“His attitude is very good, he’s in good spirits, he’s a good player, a good teammate. He’s very serious and we want to get him back to playing as soon as possible. I’m very happy. He brings experience, knowledge—he is doing very well.”
Brazil’s Confirmed Lineup vs. Scotland
Starting XI (4-2-3-1): Alisson; Danilo, Marquinhos, Gabriel, Santos; Casemiro, Guimarães; Rayan, Paquetá, Vinicius Jr; Cunha.
Substitutes: Ederson (GK), Weverton (GK), Alex Sandro, Gleison Bremer, Léo Pereira, Roger Ibañez, Fabinho, Igor Thiago, Luiz Henrique, Endrick, Gabriel Martinelli, Danilo, Éderson, Neymar Jr.
What Role Will Neymar Play for Brazil?
While Ancelotti may have teased a full 90 minutes for Neymar, that was never going to be likely.
The famous forward has not played in over a month because of this calf injury and, given his extensive injury history, it would come as a huge surprise to see Neymar thrown straight back into the starting lineup at the first time of asking.
This is not the time for risks from Ancelotti. Brazil sits top of Group C but needs to beat Scotland to be assured of qualification in first place. Morocco is expected to beat Haiti and finish the group on seven points, meaning goal difference would be crucial if Brazil also sees off Scotland.
Ancelotti has unsurprisingly gone for his strongest lineup, minus the injured Raphinha, from the start against Scotland, potentially turning to his bench later on if Brazil can build itself an imposing lead over a side that needs a win to jump into the top two and could still end up finishing top if results go its way.
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The harsh reality for Neymar is, at this stage of his career, he does not necessarily feature in Brazil’s best XI. Raphinha’s injury does create a space for a new forward but the likes of Rayan, Endrick and Gabriel Martinelli would all appear to be above Neymar in the pecking order.
That being said, he still boasts the quality to make a significant impact off the bench, which may be the wisest move at this point as he continues to rebuild his fitness.
“[Neymar] is at a very high level and eager to play,” Martinelli revealed. “Everyone knows his quality.
“We can see how motivated he is, and we’re happy to have a player like him available and showing the attitude and desire he has been demonstrating.”
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