Brazil will continue their proud record as the only nation to compete at every edition of the FIFA World Cup when the 2026 tournament in North America comes around.
The five-time champions are playing under veteran Italian coach and five-time UEFA Champions League winner Carlo Ancelotti as they plot a record-extending sixth world title.
However, there is a notable lack of optimism surrounding Brazil's prospects.
Since their most recent World Cup triumph in 2002, the Selecao have lost four out of five quarterfinals. The only time they got beyond that stage, on home soil in 2014, it ended in grand humiliation as Germany hammered them 7-1 in Belo Horizonte.
Brazil's defining star of this underwhelming period — some might say fittingly — is the superstar forward Neymar.
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Will Neymar play at World Cup 2026?
Neymar is Brazil's all-time leading scorer, having gone past the great Pele with a brace against Bolivia in September 2023. A month later, in a World Cup qualifier versus Uruguay, he suffered a torn ACL and meniscus in his left knee.
The 33-year-old former Paris Saint-Germain star has not played for his country since and was overlooked for recent squads by Ancelotti.
"He has to be 100 percent," Ancelotti told Esporte Record when asked about Neymar's place in his World Cup plans.
"There are many players who are very good, I need to choose players who are 100 percent. It's not just Neymar; it could be Vinicius. If Vinicius is at 90 percent, I'll call up another player who is at 100 percent, because it's a team that has a very high level of competence, especially up front. Up front, we have really many good players."
MORE: Neymar's record at the FIFA World Cup
Is Neymar injured?
Neymar is back playing club football at the moment, but he is struggling with a meniscus issue in his left knee that will likely require arthroscopic surgery before the end of 2025.
"I'm feeling better and better," Neymar said in late November. "This injury is sad, it's annoying. But it's nothing that will stop me from doing anything. That's why I keep playing."
What team does Neymar play for?
Neymar plays for Brazilian team Santos, his boyhood club which he rejoined in January 2025 following an injury-ruined stint with Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal.
On November 28, Neymar started and scored in Santos' 3-0 win over Sport — a result that moved his club out of the Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A relegation zone on goal difference with two games of the 2025 season remaining.
When was Neymar's last World Cup?
Neymar played for Brazil at the Qatar 2022 World Cup, where he scored in both their knockout round matches against South Korea and Croatia.
Despite scoring a sensational solo goal in the game against Croatia, Neymar was left crestfallen as the Selecao suffered a penalty shootout defeat.
Overall, Neymar has scored eight goals in 13 appearances across three separate World Cups.
| World Cup | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| Brazil 2014 | 5 | 4 | 1 |
| Russia 2018 | 5 | 2 | 2 |
| Qatar 2022 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| TOTAL | 13 | 8 | 4 |
MORE: Brazil's all-time record goal-scorers throughout history