Neymar has confirmed he will undergo knee surgery after pushing through injury to help Santos secure their top-flight status in the Brazilian League.
The 33-year-old, who returned to Santos in January following a spell in Saudi Arabia, played a decisive role in the club’s late-season survival push, scoring five goals in his final four appearances.
His run included a goal in a 3–0 win over Sport Recife, a hat-trick in another 3–0 victory against Juventude, and a dominant creative display in the crucial triumph over Cruzeiro at Vila Belmiro.
Despite his impact, Neymar battled fitness issues throughout the campaign, featuring in only 20 of Santos’ 38 league matches. He has now confirmed that surgery is imminent.
Neymar said: “I came for this, to try to help the best way I can. These have been tough weeks for me.
“I thank those who were with me to lift me up. If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t have played these matches because of these injuries, this knee problem. I need to rest and then we will have this knee surgery.”
He did not disclose details of the procedure or a recovery timeline.
Neymar has not appeared for Brazil in two years due to recurring injuries.
In October, national team head coach Carlo Ancelotti stressed that the forward must regain full fitness to be considered for a return ahead of the World Cup, scheduled for June 11 to July 19 in Canada, Mexico and the United States.
The forward remains Brazil’s all-time leading scorer with 79 goals in 128 matches.
