How did Neymar get injured in the FIFA World Cup of 2014

Neymar Junior is well-recognized for being an excellent soccer player, considered one of the best of his time. He played for Santos in Brazil, where he stood out for the number of goals and assists that earned him a pass to the legendary FC Barcelona in Spain. Besides being a fantastic international player, he's an integral part of Brazil's national team since his debut in 2011. His first time in a FIFA World Cup was in 2014.

FIFA's 2014 World Cup was the 20th edition of the tournament and was contested in Brazil. As the World Cup was being held in its country, Brazil's National Team automatically qualified for the group stage. Neymar not only was part of the team, but he held the number 10 on the back of his shirt, recognizing him as the great scorer he was. The team's first match was against Croatia, which ended 3-1 for Brazil and Neymar was named "Man of the Match".

Brazil’s performance and Neymar’s injury

If you want to find the latest news about other international competitions, keep reading our articles! Now, let’s continue with Brazil and the 2014 FIFA World Cup: the second match Brazil played was against Mexico and ended in a 0-0 tie. 

The last Group Stage match was played between Brazil and Cameroon, where Brazil won 4-1, with two goals by Neymar. 

The round of 16 went well for the verde-amarelo: they played against Chile, ending in a 1-1 tie and they advanced to the quarter-finals to face Colombia. 

Everything was going okay for Brazil: they opened the scoring with a goal from Silva at minute 7. David Luiz made a goal at minute 69, securing Brazil's passage to the semi-finals. The difference was reduced by James Rodríguez, after a penalty kick at minute 80 of the match. 

It was the minute 88, Neymar was eager to make a goal when Colombia defender Juan Camilo Zúñiga kneed him in the back. 

Neymar collapsed onto the floor, and Marcelo called in the doctors, who came in and took him out of the court. The injury resulted in a fractured vertebra and Neymar missing the rest of the tournament.

Reminiscences of what happened with Maradona

It was september 24th 1983 and Diego Armando Maradona was part of FC Barcelona. The Spanish team was playing against Athletic de Bilbao for the La Liga 1983/84 title. 

At minute 15 of the second half of the match, Basque center-back Andoni Goikoetxea dragged the Argentine superstar, who had to leave the field on a stretcher.

The result was an ankle deviation, tearing of the internal lateral ligament and subluxation of the entire area, in addition to a triple ankle fracture. Maradona’s career almost ended due to that criminal kick, just as Neymar’s career almost did. 

Fortunately, both players recovered and were able to continue their careers. Search our website to learn more about other international players of your interest!