Tag: Neymar

Argentina captain Lionel Messi has voiced his support for former Barcelona and PSG teammate Neymar, insisting the Brazilian star still deserves a place in Brazil’s squad for the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026 despite ongoing injury and fitness concerns.

Neymar, Brazil’s all-time leading scorer with 79 international goals, has not represented the national side since suffering a serious knee injury in October 2023.

Since returning to Santos FC last year, the 33-year-old has struggled to regain rhythm and consistency.

Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti, however, has repeatedly kept the door open for Neymar’s return and recently stated that the forward still has time to prove his fitness ahead of the tournament.

Speaking on the Lo del Pollo show, Messi stressed that players of Neymar’s calibre should always be considered for football’s biggest stage.

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“We want the best players to be there and Neymar, no matter his form, will always be one of them,” Messi said. “It would be wonderful to see him at the World Cup because of what he means to Brazil and to football.”

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner also named Brazil among the favourites for the 2026 World Cup, alongside reigning champions Argentina, as well as Spain and France.

“I still believe Brazil is always a contender and has the players necessary to compete for the title in any major tournament,” he added.

Messi, who famously guided Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar in 2022, is expected to feature in what could be his final appearance at the global event.

The FIFA World Cup 2026, jointly hosted by the United States of America (USA), Canada and Mexico, is scheduled to begin on June 11.

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Santos FC have opened an internal investigation following reports of a heated altercation between Neymar and Robinho Jr during a training session at the club’s facilities on Sunday.

According to club officials, the incident took place at the Rei Pelé Training Centre, prompting immediate disciplinary action as the situation escalated between the two players during practice.

International media reports suggest tensions rose after the 18-year-old Robinho Jr reportedly dribbled past Neymar during a drill, an action that is said to have triggered a strong reaction from the senior forward, who allegedly felt disrespected.

The exchange is claimed to have intensified quickly, with reports stating that Neymar tripped the youngster, leading to a confrontation between the pair before teammates intervened to separate them and restore order.

In an official statement, Santos confirmed they had initiated formal proceedings to examine the matter.

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“Santos Futebol Clube has become aware of an alleged physical assault committed by a player affiliated with Santos Futebol Clube against another player at the club,” and confirmed that disciplinary procedures had been initiated,” the club stated.

“Santos FC announces that, following a decision by the club’s board, an internal investigation was launched immediately after the incident to examine the episode involving the players Neymar Jr. and Robson de Souza Jr. [Robinho] during training on Sunday at the Rei Pelé Training Centre.”

Brazilian outlet GloboEsporte reported that Robinho Jr has raised several allegations, including claims of offensive language, being tripped, and even receiving what he described as a “violent slap to the face.”

The report also claims the young forward has requested a meeting with the club to discuss a possible termination of his contract, citing concerns over a “lack of minimum safety standards” within the training environment.

Representatives of Neymar have so far declined to comment on the incident. However, sources close to the player suggest he attempted to defuse the situation afterwards by reaching out to Robinho Jr and offering apologies to his family.

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Neymar finally ended his 2026 goal drought in style on Thursday, scoring twice to inspire Santos to a 2-1 victory over Vasco da Gama in the fourth round of the Brasileirao at Urbano Caldeira Stadium.

The Brazil superstar, returning from surgery earlier this year, opened the scoring in the 25th minute and added a second in the second half, securing all three points for his side.

It was his first goal since December 2025 and only his second full 90-minute appearance of the year.

After the match, Neymar addressed critics and speculation about his potential inclusion in the Brazil squad for the upcoming Men’s World Cup.

“Last week, they said I was the worst player in the world. Today I scored two goals, and that’s what matters,” Neymar said.

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“One day you’re no good, or you’re ‘retired’; the next, people say you have to go to the World Cup. I’m dedicating myself and working to get in the best possible shape.”

The 2026 season has seen Neymar easing back into competitive action following surgery, and he admitted the challenge of regaining match fitness.

“This was my third game of the year and only my second full 90 minutes. I felt some cramping at the end, but that’s just part of the process,” he added.

The celebrations were briefly interrupted by a tense moment with Vasco midfielder Thiago Mendes, whose 2020 challenge at PSG had previously caused Neymar a serious injury.

“He always wants to cause trouble and act tough. He already broke me once at PSG, and he threatened me again today. It’s always the same with him,” Neymar remarked.

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Former Brazil captain Neymar said he is considering retirement at the end of the year after being hampered by injuries, but hopes to go to the FIFA World Cup 2026 first.

The ex-Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) striker returned in January 2025 to his boyhood club Santos from Saudi club Al-Hilal.

After an injury-interrupted first season, he extended his contract until the end of 2026 but then missed the start of the Brazilian season in January after undergoing knee surgery in late December.

“I don’t know what will happen from now on, I don’t know about next year,” the striker told Brazilian online channel Caze.

“It may be that when December comes, I’ll want to retire. I’m living year to year now.”

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He made his return as a second-half replacement in a Sao Paulo championship match on February 16, 11 days after his 34th birthday.

“Obviously, I wanted to come back to help my team in the best way possible, but I ended up holding back a little so I could come back 100 per cent,” he said.

Neymar is the all-time leading scorer for Brazil, with 79 goals, two more than Pele, but has not played for the national team since October 2023, when he suffered a serious knee injury against Uruguay.

Carlo Ancelotti has not called up Neymar since taking over as Brazil coach last May.

“This year is a very important year, not only for Santos, but also for the Brazilian national team, as it’s a World Cup year, and for me too,” Neymar said. “So it’s a huge challenge.”

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Brazil star player Neymar has undergone a successful operation on his left knee to repair a damaged meniscus, his club Santos said on Monday.

The 33-year-old endured a difficult season with Santos as he played through the injury to help the club avoid relegation from Brazil’s top flight.

Brazil’s national team doctor performed the arthroscopic surgery, having previously operated on Neymar for a foot fracture as well as the ruptured anterior cruciate ligament he suffered against Uruguay in October 2023.

Neymar is expected to require a recovery period of around a month. His Santos contract expires at the end of the year, but he is in talks with the club over a new deal.

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The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain forward has not played for Brazil in over two years but is hoping to be fit and figure in coach Carlo Ancelotti’s plans for the 2026 World Cup.

Neymar is Brazil’s record goalscorer with 79 goals from 128 matches.

For the unversed, the 2026 World Cup will start on June 11 in Mexico, USA and Canada.

The hosts, Mexico, will play South Africa at the Azteca Stadium — venue of the 1970 and 1986 finals.

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SANTOS: Brazil forward Neymar Jr. is set to undergo knee surgery, putting his participation in the FIFA World Cup 2026 in doubt.

The 33-year-old played full 90 minutes through pain on Sunday as Santos secured a vital 3-0 win over Cruzeiro at the Urbano Caldeira Stadium, ensuring the club avoided an immediate return to Brazil’s second division.

Neymar has scored five goals in his last four league games since returning to his boyhood club in January after a stint in Saudi Arabia.

“I came for this, to try to help the best way I can. These have been tough weeks for me,” Neymar said after the match.

“I thank those who were with me to lift me up.

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“If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t have played these matches because of these injuries, this knee problem. I need to rest, and then we will have this knee surgery.”

However, he did not reveal details about the surgery or a recovery timeline.

Notably, Neymar has not featured for the national team in over two years due to a succession of injuries, with his last appearance coming in a defeat to Uruguay in October 2023.

With the World Cup scheduled in Canada, Mexico, and the United States from June 11 to July 19, doubts have emerged over Neymar’s availability.

Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti recently stated that the forward must regain full fitness to be considered for the squad.

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Brazil great Ronaldo has called on the Selecao’s Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti to restore Neymar to the squad for the FIFA World Cup 2026 in North America.

Brazil’s record goalscorer with 79 goals from 128 matches, Neymar, has not pulled on the yellow jersey since October 2023, when he suffered a serious knee injury.

The 33-year-old has played regularly for the Sao Paulo side Santos since he returned to his first club in January following a fruitless spell in Saudi Arabia with Al Hilal.

Even so, in his four matches in charge, Ancelotti has not called up Neymar.

“He is a decisive player for the Brazilian Selecao. We don’t have another player like Neymar,” Ronaldo, who twice won the World Cup with Brazil, said during a publicity event in Sao Paulo alongside his compatriot.

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“The people hope 100 percent that he will go to the World Cup because if he is there, we will definitely have better results than if he’s not there,” added Ronaldo, 49, who scored 62 goals in 99 Brazil games.

Neymar has been injury-plagued in the last few years and missed Brazil’s Copa America triumph on home soil in 2019.

He joined Al Hilal from Paris Saint-Germain in August 2023 but after playing just five times and scoring one goal, he ruptured his cruciate knee ligament on international duty against Uruguay.

He was out of action for a year and would play only two more games for the Saudi side before leaving for Santos.

After leaving Neymar out of his squad for World Cup qualifiers in September, Ancelotti said that he “needs to get in better shape to help the national team and to give the best of himself at the World Cup.”

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Neymar on Tuesday extended his contract with Brazilian club Santos until the end of 2025, as he attempts to recapture his form in time for the FIFA World Cup 2026.

“I made a decision and I followed my heart. Santos is not just my team, it’s my home, my roots, my history, and my life,” the 33-year-old forward said in a statement from the club.

Neymar started his career at Santos before moving to Barcelona and then Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).

After an injury-hit spell in Saudi Arabia, he returned to Santos in January on a contract that was due to expire on June 30.

The injury problems that restricted him to just seven matches in 17 months at Al-Hilal persisted.

He has played 12 matches in five months across all competitions for Santos, scoring three goals. In his last appearance in the domestic league, he was sent off for a second yellow card after scoring with his hand against Botafogo.

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After 12 matches in this season’s Brazilian championship, Santos are only clear of the relegation places on goal difference.

Since his return to Brazil, Neymar has drawn criticism for partying at the Rio Carnival and for appearing in the gimmicky seven-a-side Kings League while nursing injuries.

Neymar is the Brazil national team’s all-time leading scorer with 79 goals, two more than another Santos product, Pele, but his quest for a World Cup winner’s medal has repeatedly ended in disappointment.

Neymar was recalled to the Brazil squad in March for two World Cup qualifiers, but withdrew with a thigh injury.

In May, new coach Carlo Ancelotti left Neymar out of his first squad.

“I selected players who are in good shape. Neymar has just returned from injury, everyone knows he’s a very important player and we’re obviously counting on him,” said Ancelotti.

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Brazilian star Neymar signed a six-month contract with Santos, the club in his home country where he started his career, on Friday.

“The contract is for six months initially, but obviously we will do all we can that he remains with us,” Santos’s vice-president Fernando Bonavides told Canal SporTV.

“What we are hoping is that he remains with us until next year’s World Cup.”

The 32-year-old former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) forward returns to Santos after playing just seven times for Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal despite a reported salary of around $104 million a year.

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Neymar, Brazil’s all-time top scorer, joined Al Hilal in August 2023, following fellow superstars Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema to the Gulf.

But two months after his arrival in Riyadh, he ruptured a cruciate ligament in his left knee while playing for Brazil in a 2026 World Cup qualifier, which kept him on the sidelines for a year.

He then suffered a series of hamstring and knee injuries as he tried to return to action.

Neymar cut a contented figure as he was presented to fans in a ceremony at the club’s Estadio Urbano Caldeira, featuring concerts by several local music stars.

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Brazilian star Neymar on Monday ended his injury-plagued 18-month stay in Saudi Arabia as his club, Al-Hilal said they had “agreed to terminate the player’s contract by mutual consent”.

“The club expresses its thanks and appreciation to Neymar for what he has provided throughout his career with Al-Hilal, and wish the player success in his career,” said a club statement posted on social media.

The 32-year-old former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain forward played just seven times since joining the club in August 2023, despite a reported salary of around $104 million a year.

Neymar, the subject of what is still the biggest transfer in football history when he joined Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) from Barcelona in 2017 for a fee of 220 million euros ($230 million), joined Al-Hilal in August 2023.

He followed fellow superstars Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema to the lucrative Saudi league.

But two months after his arrival in Riyadh, he ruptured a cruciate ligament in his left knee while playing for Brazil in a World Cup qualifier in October 2023, which kept him on the sidelines for a year.

He returned for Al Hilal with two brief appearances in October and November but injured a hamstring and has not played since. He said he is targeting the World Cup.

The club’s coach Jorge Jesus said recently: “He can no longer play at the level we are used to. Things have become difficult for him, unfortunately.”

Earlier in January, Neymar said he was aiming to play in 2026 in the USA, Canada and Mexico.

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“I know this will be my last World Cup, my last shot, my last chance and I will do everything I can to play in it,” he told CNN.

While Neymar had been courted by MLS teams in the United States, reports in Brazil said Santos, the club where Neymar made his name in his now-fading career, was in talks for him to return to his homeland.

A return to Brazil would likely be the last chance for a player who is his country’s all-time leading scorer with 79 goals in 127 matches.

At the start of his career, he was cast as the heir to Pele. After scoring 107 goals in 177 appearances for Santos, he joined Barcelona in 2013, becoming the young star of a team that also featured Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, which swept to the Champions League title in 2015 by beating Juventus 3-1 in the final in Berlin.

A year later he scored the winning penalty in a shootout as Brazil won the men’s football gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

In 2017, Qatar-owned Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) prised him away from Barcelona with what is still a world-record transfer fee of 220 million euros ($230 million).

He won five Ligue 1 titles and he and prolific French forward Kylian Mbappe led PSG to the final of the Champions League in the Covid-blighted 2019-2020, but they lost to Bayern Munich.

PSG reunited Neymar with Messi in the French capital, but the trio with Mbappe failed to gel as personal rivalries got in the way and he was pushed to the exit, and to Saudi Arabia, by the Parisian management in 2023.

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