Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti has provided an update on Neymar's fitness, confirming that the star forward will miss the Seleção's opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup against Morocco but could return later in the group stage.

Brazil begin their World Cup campaign against Morocco on Saturday in what will be Ancelotti's first competitive match in charge of the national team. However, much of the pre-match attention has centred around Neymar's recovery from a calf injury that has troubled him since his call-up to the squad.

Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Ancelotti revealed that Neymar is expected to rejoin full training next week, opening the possibility of a return against Haiti on June 19 in Brazil's second group-stage fixture.

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

Despite the optimistic update, Brazil's coaching staff are unlikely to rush Neymar back into action. Given the short turnaround, the match against Haiti may come too soon for the veteran forward.

As a result, Brazil's final group-stage clash against Scotland appears to be a more realistic target for Neymar's return. By then, the 34-year-old is expected to have fully recovered and could play a key role in Brazil's push for the knockout stages of the tournament.