Brazil have confirmed that full-back Wesley has been ruled out of the World Cup due to a thigh injury, with midfielder Ederson called up as his replacement in the squad.
Wesley sustained the injury during Brazil’s final pre-World Cup warm-up match, a 2–1 victory over Egypt on Sunday morning. He was forced to leave the field in the 15th minute. Subsequent medical examinations revealed a serious injury to the adductor muscle of his left thigh, confirmed through an MRI scan. The diagnosis ruled him out of the tournament.
The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) issued a statement confirming the situation, stating that the injury was identified via MRI and expressing disappointment over the setback. The statement also noted that Wesley is a valued member of the squad and will remain part of the team in spirit as they pursue a sixth World Cup title.
Injury Replacement
| Player | Position | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Wesley | Full-back | Ruled out (thigh injury) |
| Ederson | Midfielder | Called up as replacement |
Ederson, 26, currently plays for Atalanta in Italy, having joined the club in 2022. He is reportedly set to join Manchester United. He made his international debut for Brazil in 2024 and has so far earned three caps.
The call-up came unexpectedly for Ederson, who was on holiday with his family in Campo Grande, the capital of the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul, at the time of the announcement. The night before, he had attended the wedding of his teammate Romulo, who plays for Mexican club Tigres UANL.
Although Ederson was included in Brazil’s preliminary 55-man squad for the tournament, he had not been expecting to make the final selection. As a result, he had not taken his passport with him to Campo Grande, leaving it in Rio de Janeiro.
On Sunday morning, he received a call from the Brazilian Football Confederation informing him that he had been selected to replace Wesley in the World Cup squad. Following the call-up, he and his family began preparing immediately to travel to the United States.
Arrangements were made to send his passport from Rio de Janeiro to São Paulo with the assistance of friends. From there, he was scheduled to travel onward to the United States to join the national team in New Jersey.
Ederson departed from Campo Grande to São Paulo on Sunday afternoon while responding to numerous congratulatory messages. From São Paulo, he was due to fly to the United States. He was expected to join the Brazil squad later the same day and participate in his first training session with the team at night, according to local timing.
In a message posted on Instagram following his call-up, Ederson stated that what he described as divine planning had surpassed his own expectations. He expressed pride and honour at joining the national team and also sent his support to Wesley.
Brazil are scheduled to begin their World Cup campaign on Sunday morning against Morocco.