Image source: bbc.com
Neymar is set to undergo knee surgery after playing through pain to help boyhood club Santos avoid relegation from Brazil’s Serie A, with the procedure raising questions about the winger’s availability for the 2026 World Cup in North America.
Neymar Faces Knee Surgery After Helping Santos Secure Serie A Survival
The 33-year-old played the full 90 minutes as Santos secured a crucial 3-0 victory over Cruzeiro on Sunday, ensuring the club avoided an immediate return to the second tier following their promotion last season. Neymar’s contribution proved vital in the relegation battle, with the forward scoring five goals in Santos’ final four matches of the campaign to help secure their top-flight status.
Neymar revealed after Sunday’s match that he had been managing a significant knee problem throughout the closing weeks of the season. “I came for this, to try to help in the best way I can,” the Brazil international told reporters. “These have been tough weeks for me. I thank those who were with me to lift me up. If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t have played these matches because of this knee problem.”
The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain star returned to Brazilian football in January after a difficult 18-month spell with Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal, where he managed just seven appearances due to injury problems. His homecoming to Santos proved instrumental in their survival fight, with his five goals in four matches providing the attacking threat needed to secure crucial points in the relegation battle.
Neymar did not provide specific details about the upcoming surgery or offer a timeline for his expected recovery period. “I need to rest and then I will have this knee surgery,” he stated, leaving uncertainty around his return to action. The procedure adds to ongoing fitness concerns for Brazil’s all-time leading scorer, who has netted 79 goals in 128 international appearances but has not featured for the national team since a defeat to Uruguay in October 2023.
Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti stated in October that Neymar must regain full fitness and demonstrate consistent form to earn a recall to the national squad for next summer’s World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States. The upcoming surgery and subsequent rehabilitation period will significantly impact the winger’s chances of featuring in what could be his final World Cup tournament.
