Brazilian fans have received mixed news ahead of Thursday’s 2026 FIFA World Cup match against Scotland. Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti confirmed that Rafinha will miss Brazil’s final group match against Scotland on Wednesday (local time), while also revealing that Neymar is fully fit and can play the entire game if needed.In Brazil’s 3-0 victory over Haiti in the last group match, Rafinha was forced off the field due to injury in the 40th minute. Despite the setback, the Barcelona winger remains optimistic about his recovery, posting on Instagram that he will “do my best to recover and return as soon as possible”.With Rafinha unavailable, Ancelotti said Neymar is likely to take his place, stressing that the experienced striker is ready to play the full 90 minutes if needed.“We just want to have a good game with the best possible lineup; the same goes for the forwards,” Ancelotti said via Globo, according to The Athletic.Ancelotti added: “Neymar is available, he has trained well this week, he is in good shape and ready to play and we are happy to have him back. He is a high-quality player.”The Brazilian coach further explained that Neymar can start or come on as a substitute, depending on the needs of the team.“He can start at half-time or play the full 90 minutes. He’s done a great job, worked very hard, so he’s ready. His attitude is very good, his spirit is very good, he’s a great player and a great team-mate. He’s very serious and we hope he’s back playing as soon as possible.” Neymar did not play in Brazil’s first two games against Morocco and Haiti due to a calf problem.
