Sports
Neymar edging closer to Brazil World Cup return after joining team training
Neymar took another careful stride out of Brazil’s medical room and back towards the World Cup spotlight on Wednesday, joining his teammates on the practice field for the first time since the five-times champions arrived in New Jersey.
The 34-year-old forward, recovering from a right calf injury, was seen doing drills with the squad after warming up separately in boots and with the ball, offering Brazilian supporters a glimpse of progress before Friday’s Group C match against Haiti in Philadelphia.
It was another step in a gradual return for Brazil’s number 10, who had on Tuesday, in a session closed to the media, stepped onto the pitch for the first time since the squad arrived, with the Brazilian FA saying he did physical work and had some contact with the ball.
Whether that turns into full training, or even a place on the bench against Haiti, remains uncertain as media had access only for the first 15 minutes of Wednesday’s session.
Neymar had been limited to indoor work at the team’s training centre with physiotherapists and fitness coaches.
Sources close to the national team said the coaching staff were being cautious and had no intention of accelerating his recovery.
The calf problem was sustained during Santos’ 3-0 defeat by Coritiba last month and is the latest in a long run of injuries and physical setbacks for Neymar, who has not played for Brazil in almost three years.
Brazil’s campaign began awkwardly with a 1-1 draw against Morocco as they bid for a long-awaited record-extending sixth World Cup title.
Any further expansion of the World Cup, increasing the number of teams participating at the finals to 64, will be discussed after this year’s edition, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said without providing any details.
The 2026 finals in Canada, Mexico, and the United States have seen 48 teams for the first time, a decision that was heavily criticised but which has not provoked much debate since the tournament kicked off on June 11.
“These are all issues that we will be examining after the World Cup,” Infantino, who successfully pushed for the expansion of the finals from 32 teams, told Swiss television outlet Blue Sport.
He did not elaborate, saying only: “I think it is important that when you want to organise a World Cup, you do it for the whole world — not just Europe and South America, but effectively the entire world.
“Every nation should be allowed to dream of participating in the World Cup. You can see that the quality of the teams is extremely high and it’s getting higher and higher, all over the world.
“If you don’t give smaller countries a chance to participate in the World Cup, they’ll lack the incentive to keep improving.”
Infantino hailed the 48-team tournament as a success, saying: “Every team played at a high level. Teams from every continent scored goals and earned at least one point.
“Nine out of 10 African teams reached the knockout stage. At the last World Cup, there were only five teams from Africa. That just goes to show how important it is to include all teams, to give them this opportunity to participate,” he added.
Switzerland were left fuming after forward Breel Embolo was sent off in the second half of Sunday’s World Cup quarter-final following a VAR review that deemed him guilty of simulation, a decision that proved pivotal in their 3-1 extra-time defeat to Argentina.
The controversial incident unfolded with the score tied 1-1. Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes was initially shown a yellow card for a tackle on Embolo, but video review revealed that the Swiss striker was already falling before contact was made.
Because Embolo had received a yellow card earlier in the match, the punishment was upgraded to a second yellow — and subsequently a red — leaving Switzerland to play the remainder of the game with only 10 men.
The red card came at a devastating moment for Switzerland. Dan Ndoye had just scored the equaliser moments earlier, swinging momentum firmly in their favor.
Coach Murat Yakin was preparing to introduce fresh attacking players to press for a winner when the decision turned the tide.
The incident marks the second time a yellow card has been overturned using the “mistaken identity” protocol at this World Cup. The rule permits VAR intervention when an incorrect player is shown a yellow or red card.
Embolo now joins an unwanted list of World Cup infamy. He is only the fourth player in the past 60 years to receive a second yellow card for simulation at the tournament, following Mexico’s Luis Pérez (2006 vs. Portugal), Ghana’s Asamoah Gyan (2006 vs. Brazil), and Italy’s Francesco Totti (2002 vs. South Korea)
Despite scoring the same number of goals after the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup, FIFA has confirmed that France captain Kylian Mbappe is ahead of Argentina’s Lionel Messi in the adidas Golden Boot race.
Mbappe reclaimed top spot after scoring his eighth goal of the tournament in France’s quarter-final victory over Morocco, taking his tally to eight goals and three assists.
Messi also has eight goals but trails the French forward with two assists, leaving the Argentina captain second in the standings.
Norway striker Erling Haaland remains third with seven goals after netting a brace against Brazil in the quarter-finals, while England’s Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane are tied on six goals and one assist each.
France winger Ousmane Dembele occupies sixth place with five goals and two assists, while Senegal’s Ismaila Sarr, Mexico’s Julian Quinones, Brazil’s Vinicius Junior and Spain’s Mikel Oyarzabal have four goals apiece.
According to a statement on FIFA’s website on Sunday, the Golden Boot will be awarded to the player who finishes as the tournament’s top scorer.
“If two or more players score the same number of goals, the number of assists (as determined by the members of the FIFA Technical Study Group) shall be decisive.
“If two or more players are still equal after taking into account the number of assists, the total minutes played in the tournament will be taken into account, with the player playing fewer minutes ranked first,” the football body said.
So far, Mbappe has played fewer minutes than Messi.
Top 10 adidas Golden Boot standings after the quarter-finals:
Kylian Mbappe (France) – 8 goals, 3 assists
Lionel Messi (Argentina) – 8 goals, 2 assists
Erling Haaland (Norway) – 7 goals, 0 assists
Jude Bellingham (England) – 6 goals, 1 assist
Harry Kane (England) – 6 goals, 1 assist
Ousmane Dembele (France) – 5 goals, 2 assists
Ismaila Sarr (Senegal) – 4 goals, 1 assist
Julian Quinones (Mexico) – 4 goals, 1 assist
Vinicius Junior (Brazil) – 4 goals, 1 assist
Mikel Oyarzabal (Spain) – 4 goals, 1 assist
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