A report says Neymar has already been ruled out of Brazil’s next match after suffering a right calf injury while playing for Santos on 17 May. He has trained separately and briefly joined his teammates, but is still considered short of match fitness.
The same update says Brazil could keep the 34-year-old out for the entire group stage. That would allow more recovery time, with a reported three-to-six-week window making a knockout-stage return possible rather than guaranteed.
Neymar has not played for Brazil’s senior team since suffering a serious knee injury in October 2023. His latest setback therefore creates another interruption to his international comeback.
Christian Pulisic’s situation appears less defined. The report says he first felt discomfort in his left calf during training before aggravating the problem in the United States’ opening Group D match against Paraguay.
He was reportedly substituted at half-time, leaving his availability for Australia in doubt. Unlike Neymar, Pulisic is not being linked with an extended group-stage absence, but calf problems can limit the explosive running and sudden changes of direction expected from a wide attacker.
The United States will need to balance the value of Pulisic’s attacking threat against the risk of worsening the injury.
Brazil face Haiti on Friday and then meet Scotland on 24 June. The report says the plan is to prioritise Neymar’s recovery, provided Brazil do enough to reach the knockout phase.
For the United States, the Australia fixture is the immediate test. A late fitness decision on Pulisic could reshape the team’s attacking approach and determine whether it plays with its usual width and directness.
The next major storyline is whether either star returns before the group stage ends-or whether both teams must plan around their absence.