Tag: neymar

Neymar has started his recovery process after undergoing minor surgery on his left knee on Dec. 22.

The Brazil forward, who turns 34 on Feb. 5, arrived at the Santos training ground on Thursday and looked in good spirits as he worked out in the gym. Neymar did specific exercises to strengthen his left knee following the arthroscopic surgery to repair a meniscus problem.

He had postponed the operation to play for Santos in the final matches of the campaign and was crucial as the team avoided relegation.

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Neymar’s father and agent, Neymar da Silva Santos Sr., admitted earlier this month that the player had considered retiring after his latest injury but he is now focusing on getting fit to earn a place in Brazil’s World Cup squad.

The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain star signed a contract extension this week to stay with Santos through the end of 2026 having helped the club avoid relegation.

Although no time has been set for his return to action, Neymar is expected to recover ahead of start of the 2026 Brazilian Serie A season later this month.

He has not played for Brazil since suffering an ACL and meniscus tear during World Cup qualifying in October of 2023.

Brazil and Santos forward Neymar has had a successful operation on his left knee to repair a damaged meniscus.

The 33-year-old has been carrying the injury during a difficult season for Santos, where he played a pivotal role in helping the club avoid relegation from Brazil’s top flight.

Santos said Brazil’s national team doctor performed the arthroscopic surgery, having previously operated on Neymar for a foot fracture as well as the ruptured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) he suffered in 2023.

The operation boosts Neymar’s hopes of being included in Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti’s plans for the 2026 World Cup.

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The former Barcelona and Paris St-Germain forward is Brazil’s record goal scorer with 79 goals in 128 matches, but has not played for his country in more than two years.

Neymar returned to boyhood club Santos in January after making just seven appearances more than 18 months for Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal.

He played a crucial role in Santos’ survival by playing through the pain in his knee to score five goals in their last four matches of the season.

His Santos contract expires at the end of the year but he is in talks with the club over a new deal.

Brazil forward Neymar has said he will continue playing football until he can ‘no longer perform’ as he wants to.

Neymar, 33, recently signed a contract extension with Santos until the end of the year, with an option to extend it through the 2026 World Cup.

During an interview carried out by his family members and friends, Neymar was asked by his wife, Bruna Biancardi, why he continues playing professionally and he said: “What drives me is the love I still feel for football.

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“The desire I feel to play, to be on the field, that’s what drives me every day; to wake up, to train. The love I feel for football will never end. It will stay with me for the rest of my life. At some point, the desire to play, because I can no longer do it, because I can no longer perform as I want to, will end … As long as I still have the desire to play football, you’ll have to share me, my love.”

Neymar rejoined boyhood club Santos earlier this year after ending his contract with Al Hilal.

He spent much of his time in the Saudi Pro League on the sidelines due to an ACL injury he sustained while on international duty with Brazil in October 2023.

Recurring muscular injuries have limited Neymar to three goals and three assists in 15 games for Santos this year and prevented him from making his long-awaited return to the national team.

Neymar has often faced scrutiny for his lifestyle. The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain star opened up about criticism.

“I can’t control other people’s thoughts,” he told his wife. “It’s difficult to answer people who understand absolutely nothing about our lives…Judging is easy, but understanding what’s behind it is difficult…I’ve spent my entire career a little sad because of this, because of people who don’t know me talking about me and not just about football.

“I know I’m a good person, it’s difficult to confront…I would like them to give more importance to what really matters: on the pitch.

“Nowadays, with the internet and social media, it’s difficult for people to focus solely on the athlete himself.

“It’s bad, sad, to be judged in a certain way, sometimes even hated by people who don’t know me, who aren’t part of my daily life, who don’t know the effort I put in for myself and my family. It’s difficult to stop and see on the internet what isn’t reality. I have a strong mind-set when it comes to the internet.

“I can look at it, but it doesn’t hurt me, it doesn’t hurt me mentally.

“My football career will end, my name will remain in history, but it will end, years will pass, other players and generations will come and go. I always say that the people who know me are what matter.”

Brazil forward Neymar has been sidelined after testing positive for COVID-19, his club Santos said in a statement as quoted by Brazilian media.

The 33-year-old began showing symptoms on Thursday and was immediately removed from team activities. Medical tests later confirmed the viral infection, the Brazil Serie A side said on Saturday.

The club did not disclose how long Neymar will be out of action and did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Neymar is already ruled out of Thursday’s league match at Fortaleza through suspension.

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The Fortaleza match will be Santos’ last outing before the Brazilian league pauses for the June 14-July 13 Club World Cup in the United States.

The former Barcelona forward’s future at Santos remains undecided, with his contract set to expire on June 30. Limited by injury, he has made 12 appearances for Santos across all competitions this season, contributing three goals and three assists.

Tite, Neymar’s coach at the 2018 and 2022 World Cups,  has celebrated the star’s return to Santos.

In a post on his Instagram profile, the 63-year-old coach showed pride and confidence in seeing Neymar present his best football again.

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“Neymar, seeing you happy today is gratifying, not just because I was your coach, but  because I see that you have a heart and a soul like no other. You decided to return home and, for me, it was the best thing to do, and I have absolute certainty that you will return to  the highest level. Character and humility, you have a lot of that, and you understood that you needed to return, few do that. I’m very happy and proud of you, boy. Have an excellent  season. I’ll be here cheering and vibrating for your success. A big hug”.

Neymar, who re-debuts for Santos today  against Botafogo-SP, at Vila  Belmiro, for the seventh round of Paulistão 2025, aims to return to defend the Brazilian national team in the 2026 World Cup.

Brazilian star Neymar is in discussions about leaving his Saudi club Al-Hilal but his financial demands are holding up an agreement, a club source told AFP.

The 32-year-old former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain forward has had an injury-plagued stay in Saudi Arabia, playing just seven times despite a reported salary of around $104 million a year.

The source, who spoke on condition that he was not identified, said: “Neymar is discussing his departure with Al-Hilal but his high financial demands remain a major obstacle.”

Neymar is under contract with the Saudi Pro League club until June.

Reports in Brazil say Santos, the club where Neymar made his name in his now fading career, are in talks for him to return to his homeland but Al-Hilal would prefer a transfer while Neymar wants a loan deal.

Neymar, the subject of what is still the biggest transfer in football history when he joined PSG from Barcelona in 2017 for a fee of 220 million euros ($230 million), joined Al-Hilal in August 2023.

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He followed fellow superstars Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema to the lucrative Saudi league.

But two months after his arrival in Riyadh, he ruptured a cruciate ligament in his left knee while playing for Brazil in a 2026 World Cup qualifier, which kept him on the sidelines for a year.

He then suffered a series of hamstring and knee injuries as he tried to return to action for Al-Hilal.

The club’s coach Jorge Jesus said recently: “He can no longer play at the level we are used to. Things have become difficult for him, unfortunately.”

A return to Brazil would likely be the last chance for a player who is his country’s all-time leading scorer with 79 goals in 127 matches.

Neymar and Rivaldo have engaged in a war of words after the Al Hilal star claimed he could have replaced the legendary forward in Brazil’s 2002 World Cup-winning side.

Rivaldo was part of the iconic front three alongside Ronaldo and Ronaldinho that inspired Brazil to victory in Japan and South Korea.

Neymar sparked the disagreement after being asked which member of the World Cup-winning squad he could have replaced while on Romario’s podcast.

Neymar claimed he would have taken Rivaldo’s spot, but the former Barcelona and AC Milan star struck back in a lengthy post on Instagram.

“I heard @neymarjr say that in his heyday, he could have played in my place in the 2002 World Cup,” the post read.

“Honestly, I recognise his talent and quality, and I even believe that he would be able to be in that national team, but playing in my place would be another story.

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“With all the respect and admiration I have for him, I can say for 100% certain that this would not happen.

“Back then, I was so focused, determined and hungry to conquer the world title that no one, however good at the peak of my career, could take my position.

“I say this with a lot of love and respect, but also with the confidence of those who lived that moment and know how hard they fought to be a champion of the world.”

With 35 goals from 76 caps, Rivaldo is undoubtedly one of the great Brazilian forwards of the last 30 years.

He helped Brazil to the 1998 World Cup final before winning the trophy four years later in an iconic side which also featured footballing icons such as Roberto Carlos, Cafu and Lucio.

Neymar may not have inspired Brazil to a World Cup triumph, but he does have one of the greatest goal scoring records in the history of international football.

He is Brazil’s all-time leading scorer with 79 goals from 128 caps and was often a shining light despite his nation’s recent lack of major silverware

Brazilian forward Neymar said reuniting with his former Barcelona teammates Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez at Inter Miami is an interesting prospect and did not rule out a move to the United States as his Al-Hilal contract winds down.

Once one of football’s most feared forwards, Neymar struck up a lethal partnership with Messi and Suarez to lead Barcelona to a historic treble before his record-breaking 222 million euros ($230.39 million) move to Paris St Germain in 2017.

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“Obviously, playing again with Messi and Suarez would be incredible. They are my friends, we still speak to each other,” Neymar told CNN.

“It would be interesting to revive this trio. I’m happy at Al-Hilal, I’m happy in Saudi Arabia, but who knows. Football is full of surprises.”

Neymar has played only seven times for Al-Hilal since moving from PSG for a reported fee of 90 million euros in 2023, with injuries keeping the Brazilian sidelined for long periods. His contract is up in June.

He spent six seasons at PSG where he scored 118 goals but despite immense success on the domestic front, he failed to win the Champions League again with the French club before making the switch to the Saudi Pro League.

“When the news came out that I was leaving Paris St Germain, the transfer window was closed in the United States, so I didn’t have this option (of moving to Miami in 2023),” Neymar added.

“The project they offered me (in Saudi Arabia) was very good, not just for me but also for my family, so going to Saudi Arabia was the best option.”

Neymar is Brazil’s all-time top scorer with 79 goals and the 32-year-old said he would have one last shot at World Cup glory in 2026.

With six rounds left in the South American qualifiers where the top six automatically qualify, Brazil are fifth in the standings.

“I will try, I want to be there. I will do everything I can to be part of the national team,” said Neymar, who has not played since rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus in his left knee during a qualifier in October 2023.

“I know this be my last World Cup, my last shot, my last chance and I will do everything I can to play in it.”