CBF Confirms Neymar Has Grade‑2 Calf Injury and Will Miss Pre‑World Cup Friendlies

Overview

• The CBF’s team doctor Rodrigo Lasmar said on Thursday that Neymar has a grade‑2 muscle lesion in his right calf and faces an expected two‑to‑three week recovery under intensive treatment.
• As a result of the diagnosis, Neymar is ruled out of Brazil’s warm‑up matches against Panama on May 31 and Egypt on June 6.
• The injury first occurred on May 17 during Santos’s game with Coritiba, when the club initially described the problem as a small edema.
• Santos has issued statements saying it shared all exams with the federation and expects Neymar to be ready for the World Cup, a position that differs from the CBF’s MRI‑based diagnosis and has created a public information dispute.
• Under FIFA rules the final 26‑man list is due June 1 and medical replacements are allowed until 24 hours before Brazil’s first match, so the CBF is keeping Neymar in the squad while daily tests determine whether he must be swapped out before the opener.