Santos forward Neymar has issued a statement after leaving the Brazilian national team due to injury.
In an Instagram story on Friday, the former Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona star expressed his gratitude to those who sent messages of support.
Neymar wrote:
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“The return felt so close, but unfortunately, I won’t be able to wear the heaviest shirt in the world at this moment!”
“We had extensive discussions, and everyone knows how much I want to return, but we reached a consensus and decided it’s best not to take any risks. I need to fully recover and prepare myself to be completely injury-free.”
“Thank you to everyone who sent their messages of support. It’s all part of the process.”
Neymar was a surprising call-up for Brazil’s 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Colombia and Argentina this month. However, he was later dropped from the squad, opting not to return in order to focus on fully recovering from his injury.
The 33-year-old recently made the move from Al-Hilal to Santos earlier this year to reignite his career.