Injury-Hit Neymar Rescues Santos from Relegation, Set for Knee Surgery
As the 2025 Brasileirão season drew to a close, few imagined that Neymar Jr., plagued by knee problems for much of the campaign, would still emerge as the player who saved Santos Futebol Clube from relegation. Yet, defying physical pain and lingering doubts, the Brazilian forward delivered when it mattered most, before confirming plans for knee surgery that have cast uncertainty over his immediate future.
On Sunday, Santos secured a crucial 3-0 victory over Cruzeiro at the Vila Belmiro in their final match of the season, ensuring the club avoided what would have been only the second relegation in its top-flight history.
Neymar, 33, featured in just 19 of the 38 league matches, largely due to recurring knee issues, including a suspected meniscus injury that threatened to rule him out of the decisive final stretch. However, as the relegation battle intensified, he transformed into the talisman Santos desperately needed.
Earlier in the week, Neymar produced a stunning hat-trick in a 3–0 win over Juventude, scoring all three goals within a 17-minute spell to lift Santos out of the drop zone. His influence continued in the closing stages of the campaign, as he scored five goals and provided one assist across the final three matches, guiding the club to vital points when the pressure was at its highest.
Despite this dramatic turnaround, the cost to Neymar has been high. After the final whistle, he confirmed he would undergo surgery to address his left knee problem. “These have been tough weeks for me,” he admitted. “I need to rest and then we will have this knee surgery.”
Details about the procedure and recovery timeline remain unclear. Given the severity of his knee issues including a torn anterior cruciate ligament in 2023 and a more recent meniscus problem the surgery could be critical not only for his club career, but also for any hopes of returning to the national team.
This decision comes at a significant moment: with the 2026 FIFA World Cup looming, the head coach of Brazil national football team, Carlo Ancelotti, has already warned that Neymar must be “100% fit” to be considered for selection.
For Santos, Neymar’s late-game heroics have secured survival, but the upcoming surgery leaves a major question mark over their planning for 2026. As for Neymar, it remains to be seen whether this is a moment of redemption or a painful prelude to a different chapter in his storied career.
On Sunday, Santos secured a crucial 3-0 victory over Cruzeiro at the Vila Belmiro in their final match of the season, ensuring the club avoided what would have been only the second relegation in its top-flight history.
Neymar, 33, featured in just 19 of the 38 league matches, largely due to recurring knee issues, including a suspected meniscus injury that threatened to rule him out of the decisive final stretch. However, as the relegation battle intensified, he transformed into the talisman Santos desperately needed.
Earlier in the week, Neymar produced a stunning hat-trick in a 3–0 win over Juventude, scoring all three goals within a 17-minute spell to lift Santos out of the drop zone. His influence continued in the closing stages of the campaign, as he scored five goals and provided one assist across the final three matches, guiding the club to vital points when the pressure was at its highest.
Despite this dramatic turnaround, the cost to Neymar has been high. After the final whistle, he confirmed he would undergo surgery to address his left knee problem. “These have been tough weeks for me,” he admitted. “I need to rest and then we will have this knee surgery.”
Details about the procedure and recovery timeline remain unclear. Given the severity of his knee issues including a torn anterior cruciate ligament in 2023 and a more recent meniscus problem the surgery could be critical not only for his club career, but also for any hopes of returning to the national team.
This decision comes at a significant moment: with the 2026 FIFA World Cup looming, the head coach of Brazil national football team, Carlo Ancelotti, has already warned that Neymar must be “100% fit” to be considered for selection.
For Santos, Neymar’s late-game heroics have secured survival, but the upcoming surgery leaves a major question mark over their planning for 2026. As for Neymar, it remains to be seen whether this is a moment of redemption or a painful prelude to a different chapter in his storied career.
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