Neymar faces backlash for carnival outing amid injury struggles in Brazil

Neymar (33, Santos) has collapsed once again due to injury. His plans for a return to the Brazil national team have also been severely disrupted.

Brazilian media 'Globo' reported on the 10th (Korean time) that "Neymar was substituted due to a left thigh injury during the quarterfinal match of the Red Bull Bragantino and 2025 São Paulo Championship Paulista held on the 2nd. And ultimately, he was unable to participate in the semifinal match of the Campeonato Paulista against Corinthians (lost 1-2)."

'Globo' noted that "Neymar has been receiving treatment for a week and has done his best to recover his condition. However, his condition did not improve even before the match. His absence was a decision by the club to prevent the worsening of his swelling."

Neymar also expressed through his social media that "I wanted to help the team on the field, but I felt discomfort since last Thursday. There was still pain in the tests this morning, making it difficult for me to participate. It's unfortunate, but it's common in football. I will return stronger." He participated in warm-up before the match, but unlike his teammates, he did not warm up after the kickoff.

'Globo' reported that "Neymar wanted to fully prepare his physical condition ahead of the current national team call-up. However, his injury disrupted those plans."

Criticism of Neymar is also emerging among fans. This stems from a photo capturing him with his pregnant girlfriend Bruna Biancardi and Santos teammates right after he was injured on the 2nd at a carnival held in Rio de Janeiro.

However, Globo reported that his injury is real. The media stated that "Neymar underwent tests at the hotel before the match, and he was excluded due to the high risk of aggravating the injury. He appeared dejected upon arriving at the stadium," adding, "He emotionally reacted to the reality of not being able to play. He couldn't hold back his anger while talking to his teammates."

Ultimately, yet another injury has hindered him. Neymar has suffered frequent injuries since leaving Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in 2017. PSG invested a record transfer fee of €222 million (about 346.9 billion won) to acquire him, but he has not performed as expected.

The situation has worsened since transferring to Saudi Arabia. In 2023, Al Hilal signed a two-year contract with Neymar, offering a transfer fee option of €100 million (about 156.2 billion won) and an annual salary of €150 million (about 226.3 billion won).

However, Neymar ended his season with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament just five games into the season. In 2024, he played only 42 minutes. He returned in October last year but collapsed again due to a right thigh injury.

Ultimately, he terminated his contract with Al Hilal this January. He played only seven games in a year and a half in Saudi Arabia, contributing one goal and two assists. In contrast, Al Hilal paid him £200 million (about 360 billion won). Essentially, it cost 360 billion won per goal.

Having returned to Brazil, he is regaining his match fitness at Santos. Since joining the team last month, he has scored three goals and provided three assists in seven games, showing signs of recovery. He has already achieved more attacking points than in his time at Al Hilal. Recently, he rejoined the Brazil national team after 17 months, but with his injury recurring, his final call-up status has become uncertain.

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