"This is a 31-year-old footballer" - Doctor provides update on Neymar's future after ACL injury
Dr. Cesar Quesada of Ripoll and Prado Medical Group, FIFA medical center of excellence, reckons Neymar still has a future in the beautiful game.
The comments come after the 31-year-old tore his ACL and meniscus in Brazil's FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifying defeat at Uruguay earlier this week. The injury happened in the 44th minute of the contest in Montevideo after Neymar tripped following a challenge by a Uruguay player.
The Brazilian was immediately stretchered off and replaced Richarlison, with the visitors going on to lose 2-0 in the absence of their record goalscorer. Neymar's club, Al-Hilal, whom he joined this summer, confirmed their star attacker's injury.
While an ACL injury can end careers, especially for older players, Quesada says that Neymar is likely to return after eight months under optimum conditions (as per Marca):
"This is a 31-year-old footballer, still with quite a future ahead of him. Today the recovery from an ACL injury is well standardised and although the times are long, about eight months, it is important to know that the return to the playing field is perfectly possible in very good conditions."
Quesada's timeline rules Neymar out of the season and makes him doubtful for next summer's Copa America with Brazil as well.
Neymar has been beset by injuries in the last 12 months
Neymar is widely regarded as one of the most talented players in the world, after Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. However, the Brazilian has been plagued by injuries, especially in the last 12 months.
At the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar last month, the 31-year-old injured his ankle as Brazil lost to Croatia in the quarterfinals. In February this year, the then Paris Saint-Germain forward sustained ligament damage after twisting his ankle in a Ligue 1 game against Lille.
After moving to Saudi Pro League giants Al-Hilal this summer, Neymar has now torn his ACL and meniscus. That comes just days after the player was criticised following Brazil's 1-1 home draw with Venezuela in the World Cup qualifiers.
It's also pertinent to note that in the 2014 World Cup, Neymar sustained a fractured vertebra, which ruled him out of action for his then club Barcelona for a while.