- Neymar suffered an injury during his 100th match at Santos’ Vila Belmiro stadium
- The forward left the pitch in tears after discomfort in his left thigh
- This marks the 44th injury of his career, having missed 249 games in total
Key Takeaways:
Another injury cast a shadow over Neymar’s milestone 100th appearance at Vila Belmiro — the home stadium of his boyhood club Santos. To mark the occasion, the forward wore the captain’s armband and stepped onto the pitch in a special shirt with the number 100, but instead of a celebratory moment, the night ended in disappointment. Neymar started the match and played 34 minutes in Santos’ 2:0 win over Atlético Mineiro.
LAMENTABLE NOTICIA. Neymar Júnior volvió a salir de un partido de Santos por LESIÓN. No pudo completar el primer tiempo ante Atlético Mineiro y no salió del campo por su propio pie. Era su regreso a la titularidad, era su partido 100 en Vila Belmiro y, lamentablemente, otra vez… pic.twitter.com/jBXZLU7Wpr
— Invictos (@InvictosSomos) April 17, 2025
Shortly after kickoff, he began showing signs of discomfort in his left thigh — the same area that had previously sidelined him for six weeks. The 33-year-old had only just returned from that injury, having come off the bench on Sunday against Fluminense.
Shortly after Santos doubled their lead, Neymar gestured to the bench asking to be replaced. He then went to ground and needed assistance to leave the field. Visibly distressed, Neymar was comforted by both teammates and opponents, including former Brazil teammate Hulk.
He was forced off in tears and taken away on a medical cart. The severity of the injury is not yet confirmed, but Brazilian media were quick to point out that this is the 44th injury of Neymar’s career. In total, he has reportedly spent 1,445 days on the sidelines — the equivalent of 3 years, 11 months, and 20 days.
Across spells with Santos, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Al Hilal, and the Brazil national team, Neymar has now missed 249 matches due to injuries.