Lionel Messi is sending “a lot of strength” to his former FC Barcelona and PSG teammate Neymar after seeing the Brazilian suffer a serious anterior cruciate ligament injury.
The Al-Hilal striker was confirmed to be suffering from knee ligament damage during his latest international outing in 2026 World Cup qualifying. Neymar left the pitch in tears after being forced off during Brazil’s 2-0 loss to Uruguay.
He now risks being sidelined for a long time, and the road to recovery will be long. It is not yet known when Neymar will return to competition, as the injury he suffered at age 31 could prevent him from participating in the 2024 Copa América.
Messi wants his close friend – a player he worked with at Camp Nou and Parc des Princes – to know he is in his thoughts. The Argentine superstar posted a message of “lots of strength” on Instagram alongside an image of the two celebrating a goal together in Barcelona.
Neymar will be unavailable for several months, and it is possible he could miss up to a year of competition. There remains a chance he will be ready for next year’s Copa América in the United States, but he won’t be far off and Brazil won’t want to take any more risks on his long-term fitness .
