Neymar Cleared for Brazil's June 24 Scotland Match After Missing 2 World Cup Games

Q: With his career plagued by injuries, is this Neymar's final chance to deliver a World Cup for Brazil?

Yes. At 34, with a long record of serious injuries and limited recent availability, this looks like Neymar’s last realistic chance to win a World Cup with Brazil. The timing and context are hard to ignore. This is his fourth World Cup, and he has already missed Brazil’s first two group matches because of a right calf injury suffered in May. He is expected back for the Scotland game, but Brazil and Carlo Ancelotti are clearly managing him carefully, with individual training before a return to full sessions. That caution reflects a broader reality: since the 2022 World Cup, Neymar has been sidelined for long stretches, most notably by the ACL tear suffered in October 2023, and has made only a handful of international appearances. Age is the other major factor. Neymar would be 38 at the next World Cup in 2030. Given the physical decline that normally comes with age and his repeated ankle, knee and muscle problems, another full World Cup cycle at elite level appears unlikely. That is why 2026 is widely viewed as his final genuine shot. Whether he can “deliver” the trophy alone is another matter. Brazil are top of Group C, but not among the leading favorites, and Ancelotti has stressed that Neymar must fit into a collective structure rather than carry the team by himself. Still, as Brazil’s all-time leading scorer, his experience, creativity and leadership could be decisive if he is fit enough for the knockout rounds.

3 articles · Updated · Yahoo Sports · Jun 20

Carlo Ancelotti said Neymar will be available for Brazil's group-stage finale against Scotland on Wednesday after missing the first two World Cup matches.
A right calf injury had kept the forward off the field, but Ancelotti said Neymar will train individually on Saturday and rejoin the team on Monday.
The return gives Brazil a boost for its final group game as the team prepares to bring back one of its key attackers.