Neymar's World Cup hopes are in danger: Knee surgery

Brazilian superstar Neymar will undergo knee surgery after playing through the pain to prevent his boyhood club Santos from being relegated from Brazil's Serie A. This has seriously jeopardized the 33-year-old star's chances of playing in the 2026 World Cup.

Neymar played the full 90 minutes in Santos' 3-0 win over Cruzeiro on Sunday to avoid relegation. Santos, who were promoted from Serie B last season, thus managed to stay in the top division.Neymar had only made 7 appearances in 18 months after returning to Santos from Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal club in January 2025. On his return to Brazil, he scored 5 goals in the last 4 league matches and played a leading role in the survival.

In his post-match statement, Neymar said: "This is what I came for, to give my best. These weeks have been very difficult for me. I thank those who have kept me going, without them I wouldn't have been able to play these games with this knee problem."

Neymar, the Brazil national team's all-time leading goalscorer (79 goals in 128 games), had not worn the national jersey due to injury since October 2023 against Uruguay. "I need to rest, then I will have this knee surgery," said the star player, who did not give information about the details of the surgery and recovery time.

Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti said in October that Neymar must be fully recovered and fit to return to the squad for the World Cup in Summer 2026, which will be hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States.