Will Neymar play tonight for Brazil vs Paraguay in 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers?

The forward has not played for the national team since 2023.

When Brazil host Paraguay at Arena Corinthians tonight for their matchday 16 game, they might move up to second place in the World Cup 2026 qualification campaign.

In CONMEBOL qualifying, Carlo Ancelotti’s Selecao team drew against Ecuador, dropping them to fourth place after the 15th game. Their opponents are now two points ahead of the five-time world champions going into the next round.

Much attention was paid to Ancelotti’s debut game as Brazil’s manager, but the Italian failed to lead his squad to victory in the goalless draw in Ecuador last week.

After a four-match run from October to November 2023 (three losses) and two 1-1 draws against Venezuela and Uruguay in November 2024, the five-time world champions were unable to bounce back from their 4-1 thrashing at the hands of fierce rivals Argentina in March. As a result, they have now gone three straight qualifying games without winning in the ongoing series.

However, with six victories from 15 games going into Ancelotti’s first home game as manager of the South American powerhouses, the fourth-place team hoping to record their fifth qualification success has a lot to improve.

Their dip in performance has mainly resulted from the absence of one of their best creators, Neymar, who has not played for the team since 2023.

Will Neymar play tonight?

Neymar will not play for Brazil in tonight’s game as the forward has now tested positive for COVID-19 and will only return after the FIFA Club World Cup 2025.

The former Barcelona player recently returned to action and also appeared in Santos’ previous two matches before the start of the international break.

To get adequate fitness to play for the national team, Ancelotti believed he might require more playing time. Now, all Brazil can do is hope that their best player goes back to his best form and prepares for their upcoming international break in September.

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