Mission accomplished. Engaged in a real fight against his body for several weeks, Neymar, injured in the meniscus of his left knee, finally succeeded in his bet this Sunday evening. Starting against Cruzeiro, the attacking midfielder participated in Santos’ victory (3-0), synonymous with remaining in the elite of Brazilian football for his club.
Although he did not score, four days after scoring a hat-trick in the victory against Juventude (0-3), the ex-Parisian played the entire game before letting his emotion explode on local television at the final whistle.
“A complete reset”
“It’s a relief,” he told ESPN Brazil. “We went through a lot of challenges. Fear had taken hold of us. Relegation? This can’t happen to Santos. This club deserves much better, it deserves to always be at the top,” assured Neymar, author of 11 goals and 4 assists in 28 matches in all competitions since his return to the fold in January 2025.
Above all, the world football star confirmed that she was going to have an operation. Confident of having “sacrificed himself despite the pain”, the former Barcelona player, who went against doctors’ advice by continuing to play despite his left knee injury, has only one goal left: the 2026 World Cup.
“It’s time for me to clear my mind, to forget about football for ten days, because I need it. I need a complete reset,” he told GE TV. “Then I will undergo the necessary operation and I will concentrate entirely on my last mission: the World Cup. »
“I was at my lowest morally”
For several months, Neymar has not hidden it: he ardently wishes to participate in the world tournament organized next summer in North America, even if it means sometimes putting pressure on his coach Carlo Ancelotti through the press. The latter remains very cautious about the 33-year-old right-hander for the moment but has not closed the door on him: “If Neymar deserves to be at the World Cup, if he is good and better than anyone else, he will play,” said the Italian technician on the sidelines of the draw for the World Cup this Friday.
In trouble with his physique, Neymar spent a total of 125 days in the infirmary in 2025, missing 18 Santos matches. Left thigh in March, left hamstrings in April, quadriceps of the right thigh in September and finally, meniscus of the left knee in November: the body of number 10 has been bruised this season.
The latter also speaks of a “complicated year” and “very difficult last weeks”. “I was at my lowest morally. I am grateful to everyone who helped me get back on my feet,” he revealed, citing the match against Flamengo on November 9 as the lowest point of his year at Santos. Faced with the winner of the Copa Libertadores, the former Parisian completely broke down, attacking the referee, the opposing supporters and even his own teammates.
While his contract expires in January 2026, the record holder for the number of goals in the Brazilian jersey “does not know” yet what his future will hold, even if he recalled that he would “put Santos first”.
