After suffering a leg injury just 34 minutes into his debut in the Brazilian Serie A Championship this season, Santos striker Neymar sobbed as he left the field.
After missing six weeks due to a thigh injury against Fluminense on Sunday, the 33-year-old was given a start against Atletico-MG on Wednesday.
In honor of his 100th appearance at Santos’ Vila Belmiro stadium, the former Barcelona forward was sporting a special number 100 shirt.
However, Neymar sat on the pitch to seek medical attention after pointing to the bench after Alvaro Barreal’s score to give the home team a 2-0 lead.
After it was swiftly determined that he could not go on, a very distraught Neymar was wheeled off the field in a buggy, clutching the left thigh that had prevented him from playing for the previous six weeks.
Both his own teammates and Hulk, a forward for Atletico MG and a former Brazil teammate, comforted Neymar.
The former Paris St-Germain forward has made eight appearances for Santos and scored three goals since returning to the club from Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal.
Neymar, Brazil’s record scorer, has not played for the national side since October 2023 – when he tore his anterior cruciate ligament.
The forward was named in Brazil’s squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Argentina and Colombia but was forced to withdraw following injury.
