By Mekonnen Almaw
The football experts say that Neymar da Silva Santos Junior has opened a new chapter in his long and unfortunate history of injuries.
Neymar Jr., one of the world's most popular stars with incredible football skills, is admired by many and holds a special place in the hearts of his fans.
Because of his beautiful style of play, many people admire him and feel that he has not received the rewards he truly deserves in football. Now, a new challenge has emerged regarding his participation in what is expected to be his final World Cup.
The 33-year-old Neymar, who started his professional football career at the Brazilian club Santos and was nearing the end of his journey, is still being held back by the injuries that have made his recent years very difficult.
After leaving Santos for Barcelona, where he spent five good years, he moved to PSG. However, things did not go as expected, and his brilliant spark began to fade from the football world.
After six unsuccessful years at PSG, he moved to Saudi Arabia to play for the great club Al-Hilal, but he did not have a successful time there either.
In Saudi Arabia, things became challenging, and Neymar continued to struggle with repeated injuries, which did not go as hoped.
Because of this, in his final season with Al-Hilal, Neymar only played in 2 matches. He did not even play full games; he came on as a substitute and played for a total of only 42 minutes.
However, he was paid 101 million Euros that year.
Because of this, Al-Hilal felt they were making a loss on the player and decided to part ways by mutual agreement. They officially announced their separation.
Next, his childhood club, Santos, asked him to "come back home."
The talented player, worn down by repeated injuries, accepted without hesitation.
At 33, Neymar started his new life at his childhood club, Santos.
There, while still fighting the curse of injuries that would not leave him, he did an amazing favor by helping the club avoid relegation.
As the World Cup approached, he did everything he could to represent his country on the big stage that is his dream and perhaps his last opportunity.
However, his name was initially missing from Carlo Ancelotti’s squad.
For the last 10 years, Brazil, the creator of beautiful football, has built its team around Neymar but has not been fortunate enough to win a major trophy. It looked like Brazil would try to go for the 2026 World Cup without him.
But Neymar, who plays football with joy and skill, did not lose hope despite injuries and criticism, and he prepared himself for the World Cup again.
It is clear that his presence on the field brings happiness not only to Brazilians but also to true football fans around the world.
Everyone knows that for many people, Neymar’s presence will have a huge impact on how exciting this year's World Cup and Brazil's games will be.
Neymar himself said clearly, "I am doing everything I have to do to represent my country; the rest is not my job."
Brazilians, from the players to the public, said, "We need Neymar. We want to see him in the national squad! We cannot imagine the World Cup without our star."
The team’s Italian coach, Carlo Ancelotti, was worried. But when they announced their squad last week, the star's name was included.
It made the whole world happy! Many people, with tears in their eyes, thanked God and Ancelotti.
Neymar said he cried with joy all night long when he learned that he had been called back to the Brazilian national team squad after three years.
When Neymar flew on his private helicopter to join the national team camp, his arrival completely changed the mood of the team. This clearly shows how important Neymar's presence is for Brazil's World Cup success and how much they wanted to see him.
After returning to the national team squad he missed so much and the giant stage of world football, Neymar said, "We will give our lives to win the World Cup! I promise that the team will stand together to achieve this goal."
However, this happiness that brought joy to the player, Brazilians, and many football fans did not last for more than 10 days.
Neymar is once again in the news due to the bad injury that has plagued him in recent years.
It was reported that Neymar, who was selected for the World Cup, did not train with the team the day before yesterday, Wednesday. Instead, he went to a clinic for medical examinations, which left many of his friends in sorrow.
At a time when many Brazilians were arriving at the camp for World Cup preparations, Neymar going to the hospital broke many hearts.
It has been stated that it might take Neymar two to three weeks to recover from his injury and return to the field. Because of this, it is reported that he will miss Brazil's friendly matches.
Additionally, it has been reported that he might miss Brazil's first World Cup match against Morocco.
That is not all. There is a fear that this injury—which has no end and keeps coming back to stop him from showing his ability and skill—might come back again. And what guarantee is there that Carlo Ancelotti will not remove him from the squad due to the seriousness of the situation?
This question brings great fear to Neymar, Brazil, and the entire football world.
Is there anything specific you would like to discuss regarding Neymar's situation, or would you like to explore more about Brazil's preparations for the 2026 World Cup?
