Neymar returned to the field for Santos this Saturday (1st), after 48 days of absence due to a muscle injury in his right thigh. He came on in the 21st minute of the second half of the match against Fortaleza, at Vila Belmiro, in the Brazilian Championship, and was involved in the equalizer for Juan Pablo Vojvoda’s team. The final score was 1-1.
Still far from his ideal form, the 33-year-old player moved and looked for the game. In the 31st minute, he passed it to defender Adonis Frías, who shot hard into the middle of the area. The ball was deflected by full-back Bruno Pacheco and went in.
In stoppage time, he took a dangerous free kick, forcing goalkeeper Brenno to make a good save.
With the draw, Santos reached 33 points, in 16th place, two points more than Vitória, the first within the relegation zone, in 17th. Fortaleza, with 28, is in 18th.
Neymar had not played since September 14, in the 1-1 draw with Atlético Mineiro, in Belo Horizonte, when he suffered an injury to the rectus femoris muscle of his right thigh.
The player has been facing similar problems for two years. In 2023, when he was still an athlete for Al Hilal, from Saudi Arabia, he ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during a match against Uruguay, in the World Cup qualifiers.
Injuries followed him at Santos, where he was welcomed with a celebration by the fans at the end of January. Absent from important matches, such as the Campeonato Paulista semi-final duel with Corinthians, he has 22 appearances this season, with six goals and four assists.
Neymar aims to play in the 2026 World Cup. To do so, he seeks to increase the number of matches played and recover the ideal playing rhythm.
The Brazilian national team coach, Carlo Ancelotti, has already said that the player will only have the chance to be called up if he is physically well.
