Why is Raphinha not playing for Brazil against Japan at the 2026 World Cup?

Brazil’s World Cup campaign versus Japan in the Round of 32 at Houston Stadium is set to proceed without Raphinha, one of Carlo Ancelotti’s key attacking options. The Barcelona winger, 28, has been left out of the matchday squad due to a tear of the biceps femoris in his right leg. The injury was sustained on June 19 during Brazil’s 3-0 Group-stage win over Haiti in Philadelphia, and medical scans later confirmed a recurrence of the same hamstring problem that had sidelined him for five weeks in March during the European club season. Raphinha is undergoing intensive, three-session daily rehabilitation in New Jersey, with an optimistic return date of Sunday, July 5, 2026. If Brazil advances, he could rejoin the squad for the Round of 16 against the winner of Ivory Coast vs Norway.