Brazilian superstar Neymar tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and meniscus in his left knee in October while playing for his national team in the 2026 World Cup qualifier.
The Al Hilal striker had just completed his move to the Saudi Pro League from PSG when he suffered the injury and has yet to return to action.
With the Copa América fast approaching, sports news analyzes whether it will be too soon for Neymar to compete with his national team.
Will Neymar play for Brazil in the Copa América?
Neymar will miss the 2024 Copa América in the United States due to a significant knee injury suffered in October, as confirmed in December by the Brazilian team’s doctor, Dr. Rodrigo Lasmar.
“It’s too early,” Lasmar said when asked if Neymar would be able to compete in the summer tournament.
“There is no point in skipping steps to recover sooner and taking unnecessary risks. Our expectation is that he will be ready to return at the start of the 2024 season in Europe, which is August.
“You have to be patient. Talking about returning before nine months is premature, this is a global concept for recovery from knee ligament surgeries. It is very important to respect biological time, the time it takes for the body to rebuild that ligament.
“If we follow these steps and after a long recovery, the expectation is that he can perform at a high level again,” he added.
Rodrigo Lasmar, Brazil national team doctor, confirmed that Neymar will miss the 2024 Copa América ??? pic.twitter.com/6UGOMjh3Lr
— FOX Fútbol (@FOXSoccer) December 20, 2023
How was Neymar injured?
Neymar fought with River Plate midfielder Nicolás de la Cruz during the first half of the 2026 World Cup qualifying match between Uruguay and Brazil.
No foul was called against De La Cruz, but Neymar appeared to overextend his knee in the incident as he sought to maintain hip-to-hip balance with his opponent.
The former Paris Saint-Germain star immediately requested medical assistance from the Brazilian bench and appeared to be in obvious pain.
After a long stop, Neymar was helped onto a stretcher in clear distress and then shown leaving the Centenario Stadium on crutches.
Neymar’s club Al Hilal confirmed the day after the match who had suffered a Torn ACL and meniscus in left knee. and would waste considerable time.
Neymar Statistics 2023/24 for Al Hilal, Brazil
Although his Al Hilal career was delayed, Neymar played three games in the Saudi Pro League and two in the AFC Champions League, his only goal being in the latter.
He scored twice in Brazil’s victory over Bolivia in September to surpass Pelé as the country’s all-time leading scorer with 79 goals, and started the next three World Cup qualifying matches.
