There was a time when it seemed impossible to keep Neymar out of anything World Cup related. For more than a decade, he wasn’t just part of Brazil’s story, he was its face, taking the team through tournaments, dominating highlight reels, and, at his peak, sitting in the same conversation with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi when the game revolved around individual talent.But this time, Neymar’s name is missing from the official Panini World Cup sticker album. It came as a surprise, but not shocking, given how Neymar has been sidelined somewhat in recent years. This was not a straightforward decision, and it certainly was not set in stone. But it highlighted where Neymar stands now, torn between recovery, uncertainty and a race against time for his last World Cup.
What exactly is the Panini World Cup Album, and why it makes sense to join in
The album in question is the official collection produced by Italian publisher Panini Group, which has held the World Cup sticker rights for decades. For 2026, the collection has also increased, with the tournament expanding to 48 teams across the United States, Canada and Mexico. The book contains 980 stickers, making it the largest in Panini’s history.To accommodate the expanded tournament, each national team is now represented by a limited number of players, for example, Brazil has 18 slots. Production of the album began in 2025 after the qualification pathways were cleared, and the scale of printing was increased accordingly. This included a significant expansion at the Barueri factory in Brazil, which operated 24 hours a day in three shifts to meet growing demand.
Neymar in the 2018 and 2022 Panini World Cup albums
The important aspect is how those names are selected. Within Panini, a dedicated team keeps careful track of national-team call-ups, player form, injuries and selection patterns over long periods of time. Instead of waiting for the final teams to be announced, they start their work in advance, building a probability model that helps them predict with a high level of accuracy which players are most likely to be called up.Panini Brazil CEO Raul Valcillo, speaking to Globo recently, explained the process in detail, outlining the system created based on national-team participation and the possibility of selection.: :“There is a department that constantly monitors call-ups and calculates each player’s chances of being in the World Cup. Of course, there are variations, injuries, surprises, but the final selection is based on these criteria. We work with prospects based on latest call-ups. Determines whether a player is included or not. His chances of being on the album directly depend on these call-ups. If a player has not been called up or is not performing for the national team at that time, his chances of inclusion are reduced.Production for the Brazil pages began in 2025, when the feasibility for those projections became clear enough. By then, Neymar had not played for Brazil in over a year, making his inclusion on the album uncertain. This absence of the national team played a significant role in the decision, reflecting the current reality more than anything else.
Injury and interruption of continuity in Montevideo
Neymar’s last appearance for Brazil was against Uruguay in Montevideo in October 2023. During that match, he suffered a serious knee injury, a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus damage. That injury required surgery and a long rehabilitation period, and it sidelined him from international football for a long period. Brazil continued to play the following matches without him and the call-up cycle continued with other players. In a system that is built on recent choices rather than past positions, that absence becomes significant.That’s why players like Vinicius Junior and Raphinha are included alongside young names like Rodrigo and Estevao Willian. Even where injuries are involved, he has remained a part of Brazil’s recent squads, making Panini’s chances high if his selection is finalised.Neymar’s status in the same period has been affected by his club career as well as his international absences. In August 2023, he left Paris Saint-Germain to join Al-Hilal, signing a two-year deal worth approximately €300 million in salary, with the total value rising to €400 million after including commercial agreements, while the Saudi club paid a transfer fee of approximately €90 million. The move brought him into the heart of the expanding Saudi Pro League, but his time there was brief and repeatedly interrupted.He played five matches for Al-Hilal before suffering a knee injury while on international duty. He was sidelined for over a year due to recovery, during which time the club adjusted its squad and removed him from its registered list to free up a foreign player slot. His return in October 2024 lasted only two substitute appearances, before he suffered another setback, suffering a grade-two hamstring injury in early November. On January 28, 2025, Al-Hilal and Neymar reached a mutual agreement to terminate his contract seven months early. Throughout that spell, he played seven matches and scored one goal.He returned to Santos FC in 2025, with the aim of rebuilding fitness and finding consistency again, the club where he started his career. This process is still ongoing, and it goes hand in hand with Brazil’s preparations for the World Cup.
Where does Brazil stand before the team announcement?
The final decision on Neymar’s return to the national team depends on Brazil national team head coach Carlo Ancelotti, who is scheduled to announce his squad on May 18. His evaluation has focused heavily on physical condition. Rai, a former Brazil international and part of the 1994 World Cup-winning team, talked about Neymar’s current level during an appearance on French program Rothen Seinflamme: “If he comes, he will have an impact on the team. Ancelotti is assessing the players to see what they think. He is a smart coach; he knows how to tell whether Neymar is having a positive impact on the team or not. He is not at his best; he has many physical problems. He can’t get back to his top form; he has lost pace. Of course, he still makes brilliant passes – he is a star – but I think right now he is not at the level he needs to be. Want.”The sticker album doesn’t decide whether Neymar goes to the World Cup or not. It reflects where things were when these selections were made, a period shaped by injuries, absences from recent teams and disrupted performances at club level. For a player that was present in every version for over a decade, the change is noticeable, even in something as small as a sticker book.