SOCCER: Neymar still absent from Brazil training as squad celebrate Ancelotti's birthday

MORRISTOWN, New Jersey — Brazil national football team forward Neymar was again absent from training on Wednesday at the team’s camp in Morristown, New Jersey, as preparations continued for their FIFA World Cup 2026 opener against Morocco national football team on Saturday.

The squad also marked head coach Carlo Ancelotti’s 67th birthday with a traditional guard of honor, though Barcelona winger Raphinha joked that the celebration was unusually gentle.

“He passed through it, but nobody touched him,” Raphinha said with a smile.

Neymar, Brazil’s talisman, continues intensive rehabilitation after suffering a grade-two calf injury while playing for Santos in mid-May. The 34-year-old is officially ruled out of the opening match, with no clear timeline yet for his return in the group stage fixtures against Haiti and Scotland.

Despite his absence, optimism remains within Brazilian football circles. Former midfielder Zinho said the squad still has the quality to compete at the highest level, even if it is not the outright favorite.

“Brazil is not the great favorite, but it has good players that can come together to form a strong team. I think it has its chances,” said Zinho, a member of Brazil’s 1994 World Cup-winning squad and now an ESPN pundit.

He also noted that Brazil should be cautious against Morocco, who impressed by reaching the semifinals in the previous World Cup.

Brazilian radio commentator Benjamin Back echoed a similar view, saying Ancelotti is unlikely to drastically change the team’s tactical identity.

“He will have a team that defends and waits for the opponents’ actions, before trying to be quick in transition once it has the ball,” Back said. “It is a young group with good physical condition and a great coach. I would put Brazil among the favorites.”

Brazil will open their campaign at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, in what is expected to be one of the tournament’s most closely watched group-stage matches. -Reporting by Marcelo TeixeiraEditing by Toby Davis/Reuters