Neymar is set to miss a significant amount of time with a torn ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) and meniscus in his left knee, Brazil’s fútbol confederation announced Wednesday, October 18. The injury occurred during Brazil’s World Cup qualifying 2-0 loss to Uruguay on Tuesday.
The 31-year-old Brazilian striker will now undergo surgery, though no date has yet been set for the procedure. ESPN reported that there’s hope within the Brazil camp that Neymar could be back in time for next year’s Copa America, which will be played in the United States.
The videos of Neymar’s injury were pretty definitive, with medical professionals even going as far as saying “Looks like Neymar could have torn his ACL,” just from looking at the video alone.”
Others also pointed out how “Neymar is always so unlucky with injury. Can’t catch a break can he?” and, even before the announcement of how bad the injury was, fans from opposite teams were saying “Rivalry aside hope it’s a minor injury & he can be back playing again very soon. “
Neymar released a message on Instagram late on Wednesday that read, “It’s a very sad moment, the worst.” The message also added. “I know I’m strong but this time I’m going to need my family and friends even more. It’s not easy to go through injury and surgery. Imagine going through it all again after 4 months of recovery.”
His team, Al Hilal, sent well wishes to their star, who got a sweetheart deal to come play in Saudi Arabia not that long ago, with a picture of the star being carted off the field and a message that read “Get Well Soon.”