Neymar has been ruled out of Brazil’s upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Venezuela and Chile after an appeal to reduce his four-match ban was rejected.
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The Court of Arbitration for Sport issued a fast-track verdict on Friday ahead of Brazil’s away game against Chile on October 8.
In a statement, the Swiss-based court confirmed it had “dismissed the urgent appeal filed by the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) against FIFA and the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL)”.
Neymar was suspended for four games after a Copa America match against Colombia past year, when he appeared to head-butt an opposing player and insulted the referee after the end of the game, according to the arbitration proceedings.
He served the first two games of the ban at the tournament as Brazil lost in the quarter-finals and will now miss his country’s forthcoming World Cup 2018 qualifiers against Chile and Venezuela.
Brazil’s CBF, who had declined to appeal in June, changed their mind and went to CAS arguing that the suspension should apply only to the Copa America.
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Brazil will be without captain Neymar when they start their 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign.
