Neymar faces knee surgery after Santos survival

8/12/2025 15:35

Neymar said Sunday he will undergo surgery after helping Santos avoid relegation from Brazil's Serie A. The 33-year-old revealed he had played the latter part of the season carrying an injury to his left knee, without providing details.



"I came for this, to try to help the best way I can," the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain forward said after Santos' 3-0 home win over Cruzeiro, a result that left the club 12th in the standings, four points clear of the relegation zone.



Neymar made just 19 of a possible 38 appearances for Santos this year and scored eight goals, having rejoined his boyhood club from Al Hilal in January.



His injury-riddled campaign followed more than a year out with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament suffered in October 2023.



Brazil's all-time leading scorer is in a race against time to be ready for next year's FIFA World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada.