Santos forward Neymar faces a race against time to be fit for the FIFA World Cup 2026 after Brazil's record goalscorer was diagnosed with a grade two calf injury that is expected to keep him sidelined for two to three weeks.

The 34-year-old picked up the problem during a Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A match against Coritiba 11 days ago, and Santos confirmed on Thursday that he would be unavailable for both club and international duty in the coming weeks.

Warm-up matches ruled out

Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti had named Neymar in his World Cup squad, with the Selecao set to open their Group C campaign against Morocco at MetLife Stadium on Saturday, June 13.

However, the injury timeline means Neymar will not feature in Brazil's two pre-tournament friendlies — a home match against Panama on Sunday, and an away fixture against Egypt in Cleveland, Ohio on Saturday, June 6.

BBC Sport's Michael Emons reported on Thursday afternoon that Neymar has been ruled out for