Brazil’s and Al Hilal’s Neymar has been confirmed to undergo surgery on his knee which will see him sidelined for a quite long unknown time. The 31-year-old was removed on a stretcher in distress during the 2-0 loss to Uruguay on Tuesday. He fell uncomfortably following a confrontation in the initial period of the 2026 World Cup qualifying match in Montevideo. It’s uncertain how much time Neymar will be sidelined.
“Brazilian and world football need Neymar healthy and recovered, because football is happier when he’s on the pitch,” Brazilian Football Confederation president Ednaldo Rodrigues said in a statement.
Brazil’s historical leading male goal scorer, who relocated to Saudi Arabia in the summer from Paris St-Germain, has faced challenges due to physical ailments lately. He spent several months on the sidelines during his last two seasons with PSG due to different ankle injuries. Additionally, he missed two World Cup matches in Qatar last year after sustaining an injury in Brazil’s first match against Serbia.
During the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, when he was just 22 years old, he suffered a back injury following a harsh tackle by Juan Zuniga in the quarter-final against Colombia. Brazil triumphed in that game, but Neymar was declared unfit for the remainder of the tournament. Unfortunately, his country went on to suffer a devastating 7-1 defeat to Germany in the semi-finals.