Neymar turns to 'Miracle Doctor' to overcome injury worries ahead of 2026 World Cup

Neymar has battled fitness issues throughout the year but enjoyed a strong finish to the season with his boyhood club, Santos. His contributions were crucial in helping the team avoid relegation and finish 12th in the Brazilian top flight.

In the final four matches of the Brazilian Serie A campaign, Neymar delivered a remarkable performance, scoring five goals and providing one assist.

His efforts propelled Santos to victory in their last three games, securing their top-division status. The highlight of this resurgence was a brilliant hat-trick in a 3-0 win against Juventude.

Despite this late flourish, Neymar is still hampered by chronic injury problems. He is now focused on a rigorous recovery plan to regain full fitness and earn a recall to the national team ahead of the World Cup in North America.

Neymar is scheduled to undergo a partial arthroscopic meniscectomy on his left knee. Following the procedure, reports from ESPN indicate he will work with Eduardo Santos, a famous Brazilian physiotherapist nicknamed 'Dr. Miracle' for accelerating recovery times, often with unconventional methods.

Santos, a graduate of the Pontifical Catholic University (PUC) in Belo Horizonte with a master's and doctorate in sports medicine, has an impressive resume. He previously led the medical department for Chinese Super League club Shanghai SIPG and has worked with European teams like Vitesse and Zenit.

His list of high-profile patients includes Hulk, Oscar, Philippe Coutinho, and more recently, Manchester United's Matheus Cunha and Fulham's Rodrigo Muniz. In a notable case from 2015, he helped former Brazil defender David Luiz return to the pitch in just 10 days after an injury that was initially expected to sideline him for up to 10 weeks.

While Neymar is committed to his recovery, Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti has made it clear that no player is guaranteed a spot in the World Cup squad. The Italian coach emphasized that only those at peak physical condition will be selected.

"There are many very good players, and I need to choose players that are 100%," Ancelotti stated. "This isn't just about Neymar; it could be Vinicius. If Vinicius is at 90%, I'll call up another player who is at 100% because this team has a very high level of competence, especially up front."

He added, "We have to think about Brazil, which can be with or without Neymar. The definitive list will be made after the FIFA date in March. If Neymar deserves to be there, if he is well and better than someone else, he will play in the World Cup, period. I don't owe anyone a debt."