Is Neymar's absence hurting Brazil? Details here
In a surprising turn of events, South American football giant Brazil suffered a defeat in their FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifying match. The absence of Neymar due to an injury was keenly felt. Paraguay edged out Brazil in a 1-0 victory. Brazil have been poor in their World Cup qualifying campaign and are 5th in the standings with three wins, one draw and four losses. Brazil were also beaten in the quarter-finals at Copa America 2024.
Paraguay's narrow win over Brazil
Diego Gomez scored the only goal that led Paraguay to a 1-0 victory over Brazil. The goal came from a shot that deflected off goalkeeper Alisson's right post, leaving Brazil with few opportunities to equalize. This defeat marked the first for coach Dorival Junior since his appointment in January. Despite fielding three Real Madrid forwards - Vinicius Junior, Endrick and Rodrygo - Brazil were unable to break through Paraguay's defense.
Neymar is out since November 2023
Neymar made a big-money switch from Paris Saint-Germain to Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal in the 2023 summer transfer window. He scored 118 goals for PSG in 173 matches across six seasons. Neymar, who suffered several injuries at PSG, suffered a blow in October 2023 on international duty after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament with Brazil. He underwent surgery in November.
Neymar's last appearance for Brazil was in October 2023
Neymar made only five appearances for Al-Hilal, scoring once last season. He also made just four appearances for Brazil in the whole of 2023, scoring twice. Neymar's last appearance for Brazil came against Uruguay back in October 2023. Brazil lost that match 2-0. Neymar has made 128 appearances for Brazil since his debut in 2010. He owns a total of 79 goals.
2025 could see Neymar returning
According to the CBF's medical team, the 32-year-old Neymar needs to build muscle strength and stability on his knee. His rehabilitation has been closely monitored by Dr. Rodrigo Lasmar, the Brazilian national team doctor who performed Neymar's surgery, and Rafael Martini, his physiotherapist since his days at Santos. Neymar is expected to miss the whole of 2024 and perhaps a return could be possible only in 2025.
