Neymar can't catch a break! Brazil forward ruled out for rest of year with knee injury as nightmare return to Santos continues

Neymar spent nearly one and a half years on the sidelines at Al-Hilal after rupturing his ACL while playing for Brazil in September 2023. His much-hyped move from Paris Saint-Germain to the Saudi Pro League turned into a nightmare and he finally left the Middle East in January 2025 to return to his boyhood club Santos.

The plan was to elevate Santos' status upon their return to the top division in Brazilian football. At the same time, the Selecao star would get some much-needed game time to regain his match fitness and form to make a comeback to the national team. However, things did not go as planned. While Neymar has scored seven goals in 25 appearances across all competitions, he has been out injured repeatedly during his second spell at Santos. The forward's constant injury setbacks have also delayed his comeback to the Brazil national team and with only one international break left in March before the 2026 World Cup kicks off, he is facing a race against time to prove himself to Carlo Ancelotti.

After holding Internacional to a 1-1 draw on Monday without the Brazilian forward, Santos boss Vojvoda told reporters about Neymar's latest setback: "The plan is for him to be in the match against Sport. I have to talk to him, I'm not in his physical presence and I will respect Neymar's decisions. But his commitment is to be there, he always wants to be there. Before the Mirassol game, he felt discomfort in his knee. He also felt it during the game. The following day, he was experiencing significant discomfort in that knee. We know we have games every three days. With travel, we'll arrive in Santos tomorrow afternoon… He's a player we need for all three rounds and he'll help us. He's our leader on the field. He'll be there. He felt he wouldn't be able to meet the demands of today's game."

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Now, GloboEsporte reports that Neymar suffered a meniscus injury in his left knee, which will keep him out of action for the remainder of the year. It all started during his last appearance against Mirassol, when the 33-year-old went down in pain after trying to dribble past a defender. Although Neymar completed the full 90 minutes in the game, it raised doubts over his condition, which has now been confirmed as a serious injury. 

The injury comes as a huge blow for Santos, who have only three matches left in the 2025-26 campaign and are still struggling in the relegation zone. 

At this point, it is very difficult to predict whether Neymar will be able to participate in his fourth World Cup in North America next year. He is out of action for the rest of 2025 and there will be hardly any action for him in the New Year, as the new Brazilian football season only kicks off in late March. His only option may be to head back to Europe to get game time ahead of the World Cup.

Without playing enough matches, it is unlikely that Ancelotti will call him up to the national team, although the Italian remains hopeful that Neymar will return to top condition soon. Ancelotti said during Brazil's November camp: "Neymar is on the list of players who can go to the World Cup. He has six months to make the final list. Neymar has recovered, but he needs to show performance. When the Brazilian league ends, he’ll have some vacation time, and then he must show his quality and physical condition again." 

The Selecao boss also offered some words of advice for the Brazilian great, as he added: "The truth is that soccer today asks for many things, not just talent. Also, physical condition, intensity. Hopefully, Neymar can be at his best level. He needs to play more centrally, not as a winger. Wingers in today’s soccer are players you need to help also defensively. When you play a little bit more inside the defensive work is much less than if you play as a winger."