Neymar marks one year back at Santos amid injuries and World Cup doubt | OneFootball

Neymar marks one year back at Santos on Saturday, yet his spell has yielded 28 games, 11 goals and repeated injuries, leaving his World Cup hopes in doubt. He has not played in 2026 and will miss the São Paulo derby.

According to Globo.com, he remains sidelined after arthroscopy on his left knee and still hopes to make the World Cup, while racing to convince Carlo Ancelotti.

He began with six straight outings, then a left hamstring oedema in the Paulistão quarters ruled him out of the semi-final and the first two Brasileirão rounds. He made his league bow on 13 April against Fluminense, but three days later suffered a fresh problem versus Atlético-MG, missing six matches.

Back at the end of May, he enjoyed his longest run, 12 matches, missing two through suspension. In September he suffered a grade 2 right rectus femoris injury, returned in early November for games against Flamengo and Palmeiras, then felt another issue in his left knee.

With Santos threatened by relegation, he played through the final three rounds and proved decisive, delivering a goal and an assist in a 3-0 win over Sport, then a hat-trick in a 3-0 victory against Juventude. He had surgery on 22 December and is transitioning back, with hope he could make Wednesday’s São Paulo match at Vila Belmiro at 20:00. Brazil face France and Croatia in March before the final World Cup list, and Ancelotti has said Neymar will play only if he proves his fitness.

Source: Globo.com