Caio Miari

Brazil superstar Neymar won't make his 2026 World Cup debut against Haiti on Friday, the Brazilian Football Confederation announced Thursday. Neymar also missed Brazil's 1-1 opening draw with Morocco last week while dealing with a calf injury. He hurt himself during a Santos game May 17 and hasn't played since. The 34-year-old returned to practice Tuesday as a limited participant.

United States men's national team attacker Christian Pulisic is day-to-day ahead of Friday's game against Australia due to a left calf injury, a U.S. Soccer spokesperson said Tuesday, according to Laken Litman of Fox Sports. Pulisic will be in "modified training" again Tuesday, per Litman. He also trained on a field separately from the rest of his teammates Monday. He left the USMNT's dominant victory over Paraguay at halftime last week in what he originally described as a precautionary move.

Our soccer writers share their observations and insights throughout the 2026 World Cup. Thursday's game between Mexico and South Korea will be more than a battle of Group A favorites. The 1-1 draw between South Africa and Czechia earlier in the day set up a potential group-deciding matchup in the evening. Mexico and South Korea have three points each after defeating South Africa and Czechia, respectively, last week.