Neymar’s biggest challenge in recent years has been his string of recurring injuries. Those setbacks have prevented him from competing consistently at the highest level for both club and country, pushing him out of the world soccer elite. Now recovering from a muscular injury at Santos, there is uncertainty about when the forward will return to Brazil duty.
On September 18, Ney suffered a grade 2 injury to the rectus femoris muscle in his right leg during a training session with his club. That immediately ruled him out of matches against Sao Paulo and Bragantino in Serie A — and he is expected to miss several more.
Asked about expectations for the forward’s return, the Santos president offered a cautious update. “Based on what the medical department has advised us, he should return before the end of the Brasileirao to help the team,” Marcelo Teixeira explained in a recent interview with De Olho no Peixe.
While the statement doesn’t offer an exact timetable, it does provide some context. The Brazilian league is currently on Matchday 25 of 38 — roughly 65% complete. The final round is scheduled for December 7, which suggests that Neymar is unlikely to return before November.
Those projections match the initial reports. A few days after the injury, Santos’ medical staff announced that Neymar would undergo at least six weeks of physical therapy — which pushed his potential return to early November.
Neymar’s future with Brazil
Given the recovery timeline, Neymar is practically ruled out of Brazil’s October international break. Brazil have already wrapped up their participation in the World Cup qualifiers, finishing fifth in the standings. That means they will now only play friendly matches between now and the 2026 tournament.
That stretch begins in October, when Carlo Ancelotti’s team will tour Asia for two friendlies against nations that have already secured their places in the United States, Mexico, and Canada in 2026. Brazil will face South Korea on October 10, followed by a match against Japan on October 14.
What has Ancelotti said about Neymar?
Neymar’s latest injury is a major blow to his hopes of returning to the Brazil national team this year. That’s especially true given that coach Carlo Ancelotti has pointed to the forward’s physical health as the key factor in determining whether he will be called up.
“We are not going to observe how Neymar plays, obviously. Everyone knows his talent,” Ancelotti said in an interview with ESPN. “In modern soccer, to take advantage of his talent, the player has to be in good physical condition.”