Neymar’s father, Neymar Sr., said that injuries had shattered the Brazilian star forward’s morale.
One injury after another had taken a toll on Neymar’s confidence. After his latest knee problem, he had even lost the desire to play. At that time, the Brazilian superstar reportedly considered retiring.
In October 2023, Neymar suffered ACL and meniscus injuries in his left knee while playing for Brazil. Even after recovering from that, repeated injuries kept hitting him, preventing him from ever returning to full fitness.
After a challenging period at Saudi club Al Hilal, Neymar returned to his childhood club Santos in January last year, hoping to regain his form. However, even there, things didn’t go smoothly—he faced injuries again and was involved in some controversies.
Despite his injuries, Neymar played a few matches for Santos in November-December, even scoring a hat-trick in one game.
On December 22, Neymar underwent minor surgery on his left knee. He is now fighting to return to the pitch.
The last time he got injured, Neymar was completely devastated. Recently, in a YouTube interview, his father and agent Neymar Sr. revealed that Neymar Jr. had considered saying goodbye to football.
“He injured his meniscus, and before we could even talk, the media leaked the news. His mind wasn’t clear at all. Handling so much at once became very difficult… I went to my son’s house and asked, ‘How are you feeling now?’
“He turned to me and said, ‘I can’t take it anymore. Let’s do the surgery, Dad… I don’t know if it will work. I’ve had enough.’”
Repeated injuries also exposed Neymar to harsh criticism. During that difficult time, his father stood by him, advising him to answer everything on the pitch rather than listening to critics.
“I told him, ‘If you want the surgery to recover, I’m with you.’ The next morning, he started training, hitting the ball with both left and right foot…then he shook his head and said, ‘I think I can do this (play).’ He went back to the field and scored.”
It is hoped that Neymar will return to the pitch by the end of this month. After that, he faces the tough challenge of securing a spot in Brazil’s World Cup squad.
He has played 128 matches for Brazil, scoring a record 79 goals, and has appeared in three World Cups.
