Lionel Messi sends message of support to former Barcelona & PSG team-mate Neymar after Brazilian suffers devastating ACL injury

It has been confirmed that the Al-Hilal forward suffered knee ligament damage during his latest international outing in 2026 World Cup qualifying. Neymar left the field in tears after being forced out of Brazil’s 2-0 defeat to Uruguay.

He is now facing up to a lengthy spell on the sidelines, with a long road to recovery being mapped out in front of him. It is unclear when Neymar will be seen in competitive action again, with the 31-year-old picking up an injury that could lead to him sitting out the 2024 Copa America.

Messi wants his close friend – a player he has worked with at Camp Nou and Parc des Princes – to know that he is in his thoughts. The Argentine superstar has posted a “lots of strength” message on Instagram alongside an image of the pair celebrating a goal together at Barcelona.

Instagram

Neymar will be out of action for several months, with it possible that he could miss up to a year. There remains a chance that he could be ready for next year’s Copa America in the United States, but he will be pushing it close and Brazil will not want to take any more risks on his long-term fitness.