The image says it before any statistic: Neymar’s tattooed leg shows scars and deformities that are the map of a decade spent battling his own body. A torn anterior cruciate ligament in 2023, months out of action, surgeries that kept him away from Al-Hilal for almost the entire season. The body of the best Brazilian player of his generation has paid an extremely high price.
And yet, Neymar Jr. is still there. He is working on his recovery with a specific goal in mind: to play in the 2026 World Cup wearing the green and yellow shirt. He is 33 years old and has just enough time to make it. What no one can guarantee is what condition he will be in when he gets there, if he gets there at all.
The question dividing Brazilian fans is not whether Neymar has talent, but whether that body can withstand a competition of that magnitude. The visible scars on his leg are not just an aesthetic mark: they are evidence that time and injuries take their toll even on the most gifted. Will it be enough, or will it be the World Cup that slipped away from him forever?
