What happened to Neymar and when is he back? Knee injury update, return date for Brazil, Al Hilal star

Feargal Brennan

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What happened to Neymar and when is he back? Knee injury update, return date for Brazil, Al Hilal star image

Brazil's mixed start to 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification continued as they slipped to a 2-0 defeat away to Uruguay on October 18 last year.

The Samba Boys picked up successive wins in their opening fixtures against Bolivia and Peru in September, but they headed into the Uruguay loss on the back of a draw at home to Venezuela.

Alongside a negative result in Montevideo, star forward Neymar was carried off on a stretcher in apparent agony in first-half added time, by which point Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez had already given Uruguay the lead.

After tangling with Nicolas de la Cruz, the 31-year-old Al Hilal forward was in tears on his way off the pitch after receiving treatment on the field.

Initial concerns were realised as Neymar was left facing a long spell on the sidelines with a serious ligament injury to his left knee. It kept him out of the remainder of Al Hilal's season in Saudi Arabia and saw him miss the 2024 Copa America in the United States.

Now, however, we may finally be about to see Neymar back on a football pitch.

MORE: All venues selected to host matches in the 2026 FIFA World Cup

What happened to Neymar vs. Uruguay?

Neymar tussled with River Plate midfielder Nicolas de la Cruz during the first half of the World Cup qualifier between Uruguay and Brazil.

No foul was awarded against De La Cruz, but Neymar appeared to overextend his knee in the incident as he looked to maintain his balance while hip-to-hip with his opponent.

The former Paris Saint-Germain star immediately signalled to the Brazil bench for medical assistance and looked to be in clear pain.

After a lengthy stoppage, Neymar was helped on to a stretcher in clear distress and was later shown leaving the Estadio Centenario on crutches.

As per a post-match update from Reuters, Brazil FA sources stated Neymar had sustained a severe left-knee sprain and will undergo tests to determine if there is ligament damage.

Brazil captain Casemiro understood Neymar's frustration, expressing his sympathy for the forward and acknowledging his importance to the side.

"He's an important player for us," said the Manchester United midfielder. "He's been suffering a lot from injuries, and when he starts to pick up the pace, he gets injured again."

When is Neymar back? Injury latest for Al Hilal star

Neymar's club Al Hilal confirmed the day after the match that he had suffered a torn ACL and meniscus in his left knee and would miss considerable time.

It has now been almost a year since Neymar has played a competitive game. He missed the remainder of the Saudi Pro League season, in which Al Hilal became champions, as well as the Copa America 2024 in the United States.

Yet now, at long last, it seems as though he is close to a return. Neymar posted an Instagram photo of him training at the beginning of October, captioning it: "Happy to be back in the group ... now it's only joy."

Al Hilal's game at Al Ahli on October 5 has come too soon for the Brazilian, but they do not play again after that match until October 13 due to the international break. Should Neymar's recovery progress well, he could potentially be available for that fixture against Al Feiha.

Feargal Brennan

Feargal Brennan Photo

Feargal is a content producer for The Sporting News. He has been working with TSN since the start of 2022 after stints with Reach, Amazon UK and Squawka in a nomadic career in the football media pyramid. Always with a keen eye on Arteta's 'Reds' and Kenny's Ireland 'Greens' and a 100% five-a-side penalty record.