To mark a special occasion, Neymar stepped onto the pitch wearing a ‘100’ jersey—but once again, he left the field in tears, heartbroken by another injury.
It was a meaningful moment for the Brazilian star—his 100th appearance at Santos’ iconic Vila Belmiro stadium. After a long time, he returned to the starting eleven, and the atmosphere was electric. The stands were packed, the fans buzzing with excitement, and Neymar was at the heart of it all. His team had a dream start. But the fairytale quickly turned into a nightmare. By the first half, Neymar was forced off the field, his eyes filled with tears.
Injuries seem to follow Neymar everywhere—even back at Santos. After a long absence, he made his return last Sunday as a substitute against Fluminense. On Wednesday, coach César Sampaio gave him a start against Atlético Mineiro.
But from the start, there were doubts about his fitness. Neymar had both thighs heavily taped and didn’t seem fully comfortable on the pitch. The 33-year-old struggled to move freely.
Still, his team scored twice in the 24th and 27th minutes, taking a 2-0 lead. But in the 34th minute, Neymar seemed to realize something wasn’t right. He reached for his left thigh, limping slightly. Signaling to the bench, he sat down on the field, holding his leg. The roaring stadium fell eerily silent.
Tears started streaming down his face while he was still seated on the pitch. Some teammates and even opponents tried to console him. Eventually, he was helped onto a cart and taken off the field, with the crowd applauding in support.
Even in the dugout, he was visibly emotional, sitting with ice on his leg as medical staff rushed in to assess him.
This isn’t the first time Neymar has left the pitch in tears due to injury.
After joining Saudi club Al-Hilal, he returned to his boyhood team Santos and played his first match on February 5. He featured in seven straight games, gradually building his minutes. But on March 2, he was sidelined again after picking up a knock against Corinthians, missing six weeks.
Although he was named in Brazil’s national team during that time, the injury kept him from featuring in two March World Cup qualifiers.
It’s believed that the same thigh injury has resurfaced, but there’s been no official update yet on the extent or nature of the issue.
