Brazil’s Neymar claims he worried he wouldn’t be able to participate in the World Cup again after injuring his ankle in their first game.
Neymar had to be replaced late in the 2-0 group stage win over Serbia, raising concerns that he will miss the rest of the campaign.
The PSG star sat out the next two matches for the Selecao before returning to the starting XI for the last-16 clash against South Korea.
“I was thinking about a million different things,” Neymar remarked after scoring in Brazil’s 4-1 triumph over South Korea.I was afraid of not being able to play in this World Cup again but I have the support of all of my colleagues, my family and I tried to look for strength where I could not find it. When I was reading all of the messages of encouragement, it helped my recovery.”
His penalty conversion was his 76th goal for Brazil, putting him in the company of Pele, the country’s all-time leading goal scorer.
After the game, the Brazilian players paid respect to the renowned attacker, who is currently in the hospital due to health problems.
“It’s difficult to put into words, “Neymar stated.
“I wish Pele the best of luck.
I am confident that he will recover quickly.”
