Sources told ESPN that Brazilian star Neymar, who is hoping to play in the World Cup, is at risk of missing Santos’ final three league matches this season due to a knee injury.
The Brazilian forward missed Monday’s 1-1 league draw against Internacional as a precaution after feeling pain in his left knee during the previous match on November 19. According to sources, tests revealed that Neymar, 33, has a torn meniscus in his left knee.
Neymar underwent surgery on his left knee two years ago to reconstruct his anterior cruciate ligament and repair a torn meniscus. Relegation-threatened Santos has not confirmed Neymar’s latest injury, which marks his fourth setback since returning to his boyhood club in January.
However, club president Marcelo Teixeira revealed that the player underwent tests on Tuesday, indicating that Santos’ medical staff are working “against the clock” to determine if he can participate in Friday’s league match against Sport Recife.
Santos currently sits in the relegation zone, one place and one point adrift of safety with only three rounds remaining in the Brazilian league.
It appears that 2025 is over for Neymar, and he will miss his team’s remaining three matches.
The injury compounds Neymar’s woes and threatens his hopes of representing Brazil at the 2026 World Cup, especially since Carlo Ancelotti has made it clear that the Barcelona star will only be included in the Seleção squad if he is playing regularly and performing well for his club.
