What Happened to Neymar? Will he Return to Brazil?

In countless interviews, Neymar has expressed his determination to assist his national team in their much-desired World Cup victory. However, with continuous injuries to his right ankle and subsequent surgeries, there is growing apprehension that the Brazilian all-star won’t make it to the 2026 World Cup.
Neymar made his professional debut at the age of seventeen, playing as a forward for Santos. Within a month, he had scored two goals, scoring a total of 14 goals in his first season. From then on, he continued to start the majority of matches and score or assist with goals, promoting Santos and gaining interest from European teams, including West Ham and Chelsea.
At the age of twenty, Neymar scored his hundredth goal as a professional footballer for Santos, emphasizing his prowess as both a goal scorer and a playmaker. Despite doubts arising over Neymar’s attitude and anger issues, the striker continued to play in the majority of matches and was receiving bids from numerous European teams.
In 2013, Neymar made his debut in European football, transferring to Barcelona for €86.2 million. Quickly adapting to European football, Neymar scored an impressive 105 goals and assisted in a further 76.
Issues over Neymar’s conduct, both on and off the pitch, continued to occur, reaching a peak in 2016. Neymar was named captain of the Brazilian Olympic team and went on to win gold for his country alongside his teammates but was subsequently forced to renounce his captaincy due to continual criticism and complaints.
By 2014, Neymar had scored 64 goals in international matches, surpassing Ronaldo to become Brazil’s second-highest goal scorer. After playing in the 2022 World Cup, he also became one of three Brazilian players to ever score in three different World Cups. He shares this impressive statistic with Pele and Ronaldo.
Despite being a controversial player, Neymar has been a major asset on every team he has been a part of, scoring over 400 goals and assisting in countless others. As such, it is of little surprise that he became the most expensive player in the world, with his transfer to Paris Saint-Germain costing the club €222 million.
Throughout his career, Neymar has sustained a variety of injuries. This is hardly uncommon for football players, given the strain constant, extreme physical activity puts on the body. Prior to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Neymar had only sustained one serious injury, with all other injuries minimally impacting his ability to play, and merely resulting in him having to sit out the rest of a match or miss the upcoming one.
However, when playing in the Brazilian team’s opening match against Siberia in the 2022 World Cup, Neymar sustained an injury to his right ankle and was substituted in the seventy-ninth minute. The damage to the ligaments in his ankle occurred earlier in the match when he was tackled by Siberian player, Nikola Milenkovic, but Neymar continued to play until he collapsed on the pitch.
His teammates reported that he was undergoing 24/7 physiotherapy to treat the damage to his ankle and was sleeping in the team’s physiotherapy room. Despite hopes that he would be able to rejoin the team in their match against Switzerland, Neymar missed the following two matches. Neymar was able to return to the pitch for Brazil’s matches against South Korea and Croatia before the team was knocked out of the tournament.
The injury to Neymar’s right ankle is not the first major injury he has sustained. In 2018, Neymar underwent surgery on the fifth metatarsal on his right foot, during which the bone was plated and screwed. The operation, which was followed by intense physiotherapy, left Neymar unable to play for three months.
Injured ankles are significantly more complex. As a multi-directional joint, the ankle is prone to injury because it can easily be overworked and pushed beyond its limits. During physical exercise, such as football, the ankle bears the brunt of the body’s weight. While methods such as taping and rehabilitation exercises can aid the joint in its recovery, for Neymar, various tests revealed that his ligaments had suffered too much damage.
As a result, Neymar underwent a second surgery on his right foot in February 2023 to repair the damage to his ligaments. According to Neymar’s medical team, the surgery was a success. The all-star player will be in recovery for the rest of the season, marking the second season at Paris Saint-Germain he has been forced to miss due to injury.
While the recovery period from ankle surgery is slated at 3 to 4 months, there has been considerable speculation regarding whether or not Neymar will be fit to play in the 2026 World Cup. This concern coincides with Neymar’s age. In 2026, Neymar will be 34 years old, reaching the age at which most football players retire or move to lower divisions.
Neymar has repeatedly emphasized his eagerness to return to the Brazilian team and participate in another international tournament, but only time will tell if both his ankle and his age will allow him to continue.
With a dedicated physiotherapy team at his side, there is no doubt that Neymar will be receiving the best treatment and supervision possible while he recovers and works to regain strength in his right ankle.
Currently, whether Neymar will rejoin the Brazilian team or not is unclear, given the complexities of the ankle joint. However, what is certain is that his national team will be eager to have one of their top scorers back to aid them in their attempts to win the World Cup.
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