Brazil will make their debut. FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign without Neymar after head coach Carlo Ancelotti confirmed the star forward will not be available for the team’s opening Group C match against Morocco.The Selecao will face Morocco on June 14 (IST) at the MetLife Stadium in their first match of the tournament. Neymar is racing against time to recover from a back injury in preparation for the World Cup, but Ancelotti revealed the forward will not be ready for the clash.Providing an update on Neymar’s condition, Ancelotti told FotMob: “He is working hard to get fit as soon as possible. We hope he will be back in full training next week.”Although the opener has come too soon for Brazil’s talisman, there remains hope within the camp that they could be included in the group stage later on. Brazil’s remaining fixtures are against Haiti on June 19 and Scotland on June 24, and Ancelotti hopes Neymar will be available for those fixtures.Brazil’s meeting with Morocco will be only the second meeting between the two countries at the World Cup. Their only previous encounter on football’s biggest stage came during the 1998 group stage, when Brazil won 3-0. is recalled for the match. Ronaldo Nazario and Rivaldo score their first World Cup goals.History also favors the five-time champions when it comes to African opposition in the tournament. Brazil have won seven of their eight World Cup matches against African teams, with their only defeat coming against Cameroon in 2022, when they lost 1-0.The match has added significance as it is the only group stage fixture in which two countries are currently ranked in FIFA’s top 10. Brazil is ranked sixth in the world in this tournament while Morocco is ranked eighth.Despite Neymar’s absence, Ancelotti is confident of his squad’s chances going into the tournament.“This is a team that can compete with anyone,” added Ancelotti.“We can compete with any team. We have the technical quality and experience and we are fully confident that we can compete with any team. We have a good feeling about this World Cup, we are prepared and ready. There are no clear favorites for the World Cup at the moment. Many teams will have a chance to compete until the end,” said the Brazil head coach.
