Dream turns to nightmare: Neymar’s emotional first Brazilian Serie A start with Santos cut short by new injury – What happened and how serious is it?

In a game that was supposed to mark his triumphant return, Neymar’s first start back in the Brazilian Serie A for Santos turned into a scene of quiet devastation. But then, just past the half-hour mark, the veteran sat on the grass and clutched his left thigh.

In a game that was supposed to mark his triumphant return, Neymar’s first start back in the Brazilian Serie A for Santos turned into a scene of quiet devastation. Wearing the number 100 jersey to commemorate his 100th appearance at Vila Belmiro, Neymar took the field with promise, hope, and a nation’s gaze upon him.

The crowd buzzed with anticipation as the star attacker, finally back in the starting lineup after weeks of injury concerns, lined up for Santos against Atletico Mineiro. It was a crucial fixture for the Peixe, rooted to the bottom of the table with just one point from their first three matches, and Neymar’s presence was expected to inject belief.

But then, just as the match came to life, the man everyone came to see began to fade from it. Just past the half-hour mark, the ex-Bacelona and PSG star sat on the grass and clutched his left thigh. The game was halted. The stadium silenced.

“Neymar feels pain in the back of his left thigh and asks to be substituted. The forward cries while holding his hand to his thigh,” reported the matchday broadcast, via ESPN. The 33-year-old could no longer continue, and as he limped toward the sideline, tears streamed down his face.

He was replaced in the 34th minute by Rollheiser, moments after Santos had doubled their lead to 2-0 through a goal from Alvaro Barreal. A heartbroken Neymar sat on the bench, with his leg encased in ice. His teammates and even the opposing players, notably Hulk, who had previously played with him in Brazil, consoled him.

What happened and how serious is it?

The injury is a recurrence in the back of his left thigh, the same area that sidelined Neymar for six weeks earlier this year, forcing him to miss Santos’ Campeonato Paulista semi-final and Brazil’s World Cup qualifiers in March.

Neymar “was in tears as he received treatment on the pitch, eventually moving onto a cart and being driven off the field,” noted the post-match summary from Vila Belmiro.

This match was supposed to be his reset—his first start since recovering from the previous injury and his full-circle return to his boyhood club after terminating his contract with Al Hilal in January. But with the fresh setback, questions are now swirling over whether he was brought back too soon.

Pattern of pain

The tragedy in this story isn’t just the injury—it’s the repetition of it. Neymar’s stint in Saudi Arabia was marred by injuries, limiting him to just seven appearances over 18 months despite Al-Hilal investing a reported $100 million for his services. The most devastating blow came in October 2023, when he suffered a torn ACL and meniscus playing for Brazil, keeping him sidelined for months.

When he finally re-signed with Santos at the beginning of 2025, there was hope that a return home might offer calm and stability. And when he was named in Brazil’s March squad—his first call-up since the ACL tear—it appeared that redemption might be on the horizon.

Instead, his body faltered again. That time, it was a thigh injury that kept him out of international duty. Now, after less than 35 minutes of his comeback start, the same injury appears to have resurfaced.

Amid the heartbreak, the home side earned its first win of the 2025 Serie A season, defeating Atletico Mineiro 2-0. Ze Ivaldo opened the scoring in the 23rd minute, followed swiftly by Barreal’s second in the 26th. But the victory was drowned in concern. The sight of Neymar breaking down on the bench, being treated with ice, is a haunting image for Santos fans and for Brazil.