Neymar suffered an injury during Santos’ match against Atletico Mineiro in the Brazilian Serie A last Thursday. This came shortly after he had recovered from a previous injury.

The match was meant to be a tribute to Neymar, marking his 100th appearance for Santos, the club where he began his career. For the occasion, he wore a jersey with the number 100 instead of his usual number 10. However, the 33-year-old star had to leave the field after just 34 minutes due to the injury.

Santos FC stated: “After recovering from a muscle injury and resuming training to rebuild muscle mass, Neymar returned to the pitch but felt discomfort in a new muscle area.”

The Brazilian club also noted that tests revealed Neymar has suffered an injury to the semimembranosus muscle in his left thigh.

Santos did not specify a timeline for Neymar’s return but mentioned that his condition will be regularly evaluated to monitor his recovery and determine if additional treatment is needed.

According to multiple reports, Neymar is expected to be sidelined for at least a month, with his absence lasting between four to six weeks.

Given Neymar’s long history of injuries and repeated absences in recent years, some have speculated that he might consider retirement.

Despite this, participating in the 2026 World Cup remains one of Neymar’s key goals. He is determined to wear the Brazilian national team jersey once again. It is worth noting that Neymar joined Santos from Al-Hilal in January. In October 2023, while playing for Al-Hilal, he suffered a torn ACL. After recovering, he briefly returned before sustaining another hamstring injury, prompting the Saudi club to transfer him.