In an unfortunate turn of events, Brazil forward Raphinha suffered a muscle injury on his right thigh, which has put his further participation in the FIFA World Cup 2026 in major doubts. La Selecao were already dealing with Neymar’s injury and now the FC Barcelona winger has joined the unfortunate list. The Brazilian Football Confederation confirmed this development after a diagnosis on Saturday following imaging tests.
The 29-year-old winger was forced to leave the pitch late in the first half during Brazil’s 3-0 group-stage victory over Haiti on Friday night in Philadelphia. Raphinha signaled for medical attention and was substituted in the 40th minute after clutching the back of his thigh.
Despite the setback, the CBF announced that the Barcelona forward will not be dropped from the World Cup squad just yet. Instead, he will remain with the team to undergo an intensive rehabilitation and treatment protocol monitored closely by the national team’s medical staff.
The camp remains hopeful that the winger can recover quickly and return to action later in the tournament if Brazil advances to the knockout stages.
This injury is a recurring issue for Raphinha and it marks his 4th hamstring problem over the past year. He previously missed 23 matches for Barcelona last season and was sidelined for over a month after injuring his hamstring during a international friendly against France in March.
The injury presents a selection headache for head coach Carlo Ancelotti as Brazil is already managing fitness concerns around star forward Neymar who missed the opening two group games with a calf issue. However, Ancelotti did confirm that the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain star will feature in his side’s last Group C game against Scotland.
Raphinha has 11 goals in 41 appearances for Brazil in the international circuit.
When is Brazil’s next match?
Brazil’s last Group C game against Scotland on Thursday, June 25 at the Miami Stadium. La Selecao currently sits at the top of Group C with 4 points from 2 matches, ahead of 2nd placed Morocco on goal difference.
How to watch and stream FIFA World Cup 2026 in India
Multiple group-stage matches that will take place simultaneously will be aired across Zee5 app and website.
