Brazil Face Scotland With One Big Question: Does Neymar Finally Play?

Sport · World Cup 2026

Brazil go into their final group game in a comfortable position, which is exactly why the most interesting story is not Scotland at all — it is the set of choices facing Carlo Ancelotti, and one in particular: whether the Brazil Neymar saga finally produces his first minutes of the tournament.

Brazil arrive in a position of strength

After a nervy start to their campaign, Brazil look themselves again. A convincing three-nil win over Haiti on Friday in Philadelphia, their best performance of the tournament so far, lifted them to the top of their group and washed away the memory of an opening draw with Morocco.

The hero was Matheus Cunha, the Manchester United forward who had been left on the bench for that flat opener. Brought into the side for Haiti, he scored twice, including one superb finish, before Vinícius Júnior added a second just before half-time.

That leaves Brazil sitting top of the group as they head to Miami to face Scotland on Wednesday. They are not quite mathematically safe, but a win, or even a draw, should be enough to send them comfortably into the knockout rounds and finish the job.

The Brazil Neymar question hanging over Miami

All of which clears the stage for the question Brazilian fans have been asking for weeks. Neymar, the country’s most famous footballer, has not played a single minute at this World Cup, sidelined by a calf injury that kept him out of both games so far.

The team’s medical staff have been cautious, putting him through the final stages of his recovery at the training base and easing him back with light work on the pitch. They have made clear that a safe return matters more than a quick one, and his availability for Scotland remains uncertain, judged day by day.

With Brazil’s place all but secured, Wednesday offers a rare low-risk window. A short appearance, even twenty minutes off the bench, would mark Neymar’s World Cup debut after weeks of doubt, and would instantly become one of the most watched moments of the tournament.

A coach who owes no favours

Whether that moment arrives is entirely Ancelotti’s call, and the Italian has been refreshingly blunt about it. He has insisted he owes no one a place in the team and that he will plan for Brazil with or without their famous number ten.

That stance reflects a wider shift. For more than a decade, Brazil were built around Neymar as their reference point, the player everything ran through.

Ancelotti has pointedly said the team no longer has a single such figure, pointing instead to a deep squad of world-class goalkeepers, defenders and attackers.

Now thirty-three and never quite the same since a serious knee injury, Neymar finds himself auditioning rather than guaranteed. Cunha’s two goals against Haiti only sharpen the point: this is a Brazil with options, and a place must be earned.

The selection puzzle, and the seeding prize

Neymar is not the only decision. Ancelotti must weigh whether to keep the in-form Cunha, whether to rest key men with one eye on the tougher games ahead, and how much to rotate a squad that has done the hard part of qualifying from the group.

There is a real prize beyond simply progressing, too. Winning the group rather than finishing second would likely hand Brazil an easier opponent in the first knockout round, so there is a genuine incentive to take the Scotland game seriously rather than treat it as a dead rubber.

For Scotland, playing in their first World Cup in nearly three decades, the match is about pride and a slim hope of their own. For Brazil, chasing a first title since 2002, it is a chance to settle their team and, perhaps, to finally see their most famous son take the field.

Frequently Asked Questions

When do Brazil play Scotland?

Brazil face Scotland on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, in Miami, in their final World Cup group-stage match. Brazil go into the game top of their group after a three-nil win over Haiti.

Will Neymar play for Brazil at the World Cup?

It is still uncertain. Neymar has missed both of Brazil’s games so far with a calf injury, and his fitness is being assessed day by day, with staff prioritising a safe return.

The Scotland game offers a possible low-risk chance for his tournament debut.

Has Brazil qualified for the knockout round?

Brazil sit top of their group but have not quite secured their place mathematically. A win or a draw against Scotland should be enough to send them through to the round of 32.

This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error