Neymar, a striker for both Brazil and Al-Hilal, will require surgery after sustaining a rupture to both the anterior cruciate ligament and the meniscus in his left knee while participating in international duty.
During Tuesday’s 2-0 loss to Uruguay, the player, who is 31 years old, was taken off the field on a stretcher while crying.
following a challenge in the first half of the 2026 World Cup qualifying match in Montevideo, he had an unpleasant landing following the play.
It is yet unknown how long Neymar will be sidelined due to his injury.
Ednaldo Rodrigues, the president of the Brazilian Football Confederation, stated in a statement that “Brazilian and world football need Neymar healthy and recovered, because football is happier when he is on the pitch.”
In recent years, the male player who holds the record for the most goals scored by a Brazilian player overall has struggled with injuries. He went from Paris St. Germain to Saudi Arabia in the summer.
He was sidelined for multiple months throughout each of his final two seasons with PSG due to various ankle problems, and he also missed two World Cup games in Qatar last year after sustaining an injury in Brazil’s opening game against Serbia. Both of these injuries occurred in the same year.
During the quarter-final match between Colombia and Mexico at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, the then 22-year-old player suffered a bone fracture in his back as a result of a reckless challenge made by Juan Zuniga.
Neymar was ruled out for the duration of the competition after being injured in that match, and despite Brazil’s victory, Neymar’s team went on to be defeated by Germany 7-1 in the semifinals.
