Football superstar Neymar has a torn ligament and meniscus in his left knee and will have to undergo surgery after being injured during Brazil’s 2-0 loss to Uruguay, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) has said.

The 31-year-old, who joined Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal from Paris Saint-Germain in August, was stretchered off in tears just before halftime in Brazil’s 2026 World Cup qualifying match in Montevideo on Tuesday.

Neymar will undergo surgery for the injuries at a “yet-to-be-determined date,” the CBF said on Wednesday, after a series of medical exams on the player in Sao Paulo.

Neymar went down after tussling for the ball with Uruguay’s Nicolas de la Cruz in the 44th minute of Brazil’s 2-0 defeat on Tuesday, holding his left leg in pain and calling for medical attention as his teammates looked on anxiously. He left the stadium on crutches and wearing a leg brace after the match.

“Brazilian and world football need Neymar healthy and recovered, because football is happier when he’s on the pitch,” CBF president Ednaldo Rodrigues said in a statement.

The injury is expected to sideline the forward for several months.

The CBF said its medical department and Al Hilal are in “constant contact” and “aligned” on helping the striker recover.

Neymar, who overtook Pele as Brazil’s all-time top goal scorer last month, said he was frustrated to be sidelined with yet another injury so soon after recovering from an ankle operation.

Earlier this year, he underwent right ankle surgery that required months of recovery before he left Paris St Germain to sign a two-year deal with Al Hilal, where he had played only five games this season.

“It’s a very sad time, the worst,” he wrote on Instagram. “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 four months of recovery.”

É um momento muito triste, o pior.
Sei que sou forte mas dessa vez vou precisar ainda mais dos meus (família e amigos)
Não é fácil passar por lesão e cirurgia, imagina passar isso tudo de novo após 4 meses recuperado.
Fé eu tenho, até demais …
Mas a força eu entrego nas mãos… pic.twitter.com/H7Rm7elzBA

— Neymar Jr (@neymarjr) October 19, 2023

Neymar’s career has been plagued with injuries. He spent three lengthy spells on the sidelines with his former club Paris St Germain after sustaining right foot injuries.

He underwent surgery in March for an ankle problem that sidelined him for six months.

Fitness problems overshadowed much of his six seasons at PSG, which signed him for a world record $234m (222 million euros) in 2017.

He signed for Al Hilal for a reported $95m in August.

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