Neymar, who was injured with Brazil, suffers from a ruptured cruciate knee ligament. He will need surgery. A long absence is expected.
He will once again be absent for several months. Left in tears and on a stretcher during Brazil’s defeat against Uruguay (2-0), Neymar suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury and a torn meniscus in his left knee. The diagnosis was communicated on the evening of Wednesday October 18 by Al-Hilal, his club in Saudi Arabia.
“He will undergo surgery and follow a treatment program which will be determined later,” the Al-Hilal statement added. The findings of the medical examination were confirmed by the Brazilian Football Federation: “The medical department of the Brazilian national team, under the supervision of Dr. Rodrigo Lasmar, and Al Hilal are in constant contact and align on the recovery of the player”.
“For him, it’s the injuries, the injuries, the injuries…”
During Brazil-Uruguay, a match counting for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, Neymar was injured just after Darwin Nuñez opened the score. The Brazilian number 10 was writhing in pain on the pitch after falling badly following a collision with Nicolás de la Cruz. He therefore suffered from a rupture of the cruciate ligaments of the knee.
“For him, it’s injuries, injuries, injuries… And as soon as he starts to find his rhythm, he gets injured again,” his compatriot Casemiro, Manchester United midfielder, later lamented.
Neymar joined the Saudi club Al-Hilal in August, after six seasons at Paris Saint-Germain, a stint marred by numerous physical glitches. This year, a serious injury to his right ankle kept him away from the field for six months, from March to September.
During the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, “Ney” was injured during the first match, against Serbia. He returned for the round of 16, but was unable to prevent the elimination of the Seleçao in the quarterfinals against Croatia on penalties, even if he scored during extra time.