Neymar was close to retiring when he suffered his latest injury, as revealed by his father and agent, Neymar da Silva Santos Sr.
The 33-year-old was struggling with a meniscus injury heading into the final stages of the season with Santos, who were in a relegation battle in the Brazilian top-flight.
However, Neymar decided to play through the pain to try and help Santos retain their Serie A status, and he did exactly that.
Santos won each of their last three matches, with Neymar scoring a hat-trick against Juventude and registering a goal and an assist against Sport Recife to keep them in the division.
The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain has since undergone surgery as he aims to continue his form to secure a spot in Carlo Ancelotti’s 2026 World Cup squad.
He is Brazil’s all-time leading scorer with 79 goals in 128 appearances and has played in three World Cups.
Neymar’s father explained in a YouTube interview with Rafa Tecla T – Experiencias reais how the forward’s perspective quickly changed after a sombre initial response to his injury.
He said: “He got a meniscus injury, the press leaks it before we talk to him, and his head goes blank. It’s so much to take in. I go to my son’s house. ‘So, how are you?’