Neymar's World Cup Absence: Lula's Jokes and Ancelotti's Strategy
Neymar is back on the grass with Brazil. Just not on the team sheet.
The country’s all-time leading scorer, sitting on 79 goals, rejoined full training with the squad at the World Cup in the United States this week after a right calf injury. His return, though, comes with a big asterisk: he missed the 1-1 draw with Morocco and will again be absent when Brazil face Haiti in their second group game on Friday.
At 34, and after a year riddled with fitness problems, Neymar has become the tournament’s most talked‑about non‑starter.
Lula’s punchline
No one has leaned into that narrative quite like Brazil’s president.
“Neymar? He is not even playing!” Lula snapped back, half‑teasing, when a young boy mentioned the forward’s name. The 80‑year‑old was speaking at a hospital ceremony in Belo Horizonte and kept the jokes coming.
“Neymar is the first player to be called up to the national team who is working remotely,” he added, drawing laughs and underlining the surreal nature of Brazil’s biggest star training on the fringes while the World Cup rolls on without him.
Lula has been on a comic streak since the draw with Morocco, even quipping on Wednesday that he was thinking about signing Lionel Messi to play for Brazil. The humour lands because the situation around Neymar feels so unusual: a fit‑again icon, present but untouchable.
Ancelotti’s caution
Behind the jokes lies a clear, calculated decision from Carlo Ancelotti and his staff.
Neymar was diagnosed in late May with a right calf injury and has played only half of Santos’ matches this year, his season constantly interrupted by various fitness issues. For Brazil, he has not kicked a ball in a competitive match since October 2023.
He finally trained with his international teammates for the first time on Wednesday, a step forward that would normally trigger a clamour for an instant return. Instead, Ancelotti has left him out again, wary of risking the forward too early and losing him for the business end of the tournament, according to Brazilian reports.
The message is blunt: no shortcuts, not even for the country’s record goalscorer.
A controversial call-up
Neymar has been central to Brazil’s last three World Cup campaigns, the face on every billboard and the focal point on every team sheet. This time, his name on the squad list raised eyebrows.
Given his long run of injuries, many expected Brazil to move on, at least for this tournament. Ancelotti chose differently, gambling that even a part‑time Neymar could tilt a knockout tie or rescue a tight group.
For now, that bet remains parked on the bench, in a tracksuit, watching.
Brazil close their group stage against Scotland in Miami on June 24. If the medical plan holds and the calf responds, that date is starting to look like Neymar’s real World Cup kickoff – and perhaps his last chance to reshape the story of his international career.
