Neymar will miss Brazil's World Cup warm-up match against Egypt to continue treatment for a leg muscle injury, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) said on Thursday, reports Xinhua.

The 34-year-old was last Thursday diagnosed with a grade two calf strain requiring an estimated recovery period of two to three weeks.

"Neymar will not travel with the delegation to Cleveland," the CBF said in a statement ahead of Saturday's friendly at Huntington Bank Field. "He will remain in New Jersey, undergoing physical therapy and intensifying his physical recovery program."

Brazil's all-time leading scorer with 79 goals in 128 international matches, last played for Brazil in October 2023, when he suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in a World Cup qualifier against Uruguay.

The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain attacker has since struggled with injuries, managing only 17 goals in 38 appearances across all competitions after returning to boyhood club Santos in January 2025.

Brazil will begin its World Cup Group C campaign against Morocco in New Jersey before meeting Haiti in Philadelphia and Scotland in Miami.

The tournament will be played in the United States, Mexico and Canada from June 11 to July 19. 

MSH

Bangladeshi wicketkeeper-batter Mushfiqur Rahim is set to feature for Fortune Barishal in the forthcoming Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).

Mushfiqur had played for Sylhet Strikers in the last edition. His price was fixed at 80 lakhs in the players' draft according to the category. Which means he was in 'A' category.

The top category player will play along with other star players like Tamim Iqbal, Mahmudullah, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, and Khaled Ahmed in Fortune Barishal.

Neymar said he was relishing “new challenges and opportunities in new places” after he joined Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal from Paris Saint-Germain on a two-year deal Tuesday, becoming the latest big name lured to the oil-rich Gulf state.

The Brazil forward, 31, ends a six-year stay in the French capital and follows in the footsteps of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Sadio Mane in swapping Europe for the Middle East.

“I have achieved a lot in Europe and enjoyed special times, but I have always wanted to be a global player and test myself with new challenges and opportunities in new places,” Neymar said in a statement from the Saudi Pro League.

“I want to write new sporting history, and the Saudi Pro League has tremendous energy and quality players at the moment,” he added.

Neymar was “in negotiations” on Sunday to become the latest football superstar to decamp for Saudi Arabia, leaving Paris Saint-Germain just as Kylian Mbappe was brought back in from the cold by the French champions.

A source close to PSG told AFP that 31-year-old Neymar “no longer figures in the club or manager’s plans” with the Brazilian immediately linked to Al-Hilal in the Gulf kingdom.

Another source in Saudi Arabia said that “direct negotiations” between Neymar’s agents and the Public Investment Fund (PIF) were ongoing.