Neymar defends his fitness: 'Difficult to be me'
Mar 12, 2026, 07:44 AM ETBrazil forward Neymar has hit back at critics that keep questioning his fitness ahead of the World Cup.Neymar was left out of Santos' squad in Tuesday's 2-2 league draw at Mirassol, a game that Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti attended.Santos coach Juan Pablo Vojvoda denied speculation that Neymar was injured and said the reason why the forward was rested in midweek was to control his work load.Editor's Picks"He has no injury or anything." Vojvoda said of Neymar. "He feels no pain. It's true, he's a player who has been inactive in previous years, so we have to take care of the load."He will arrive well for the game against Corinthians [on Sunday]."Neymar, 34, took to social media to put the record straight.He wrote: "Since many people are creating theories about what is happening to me: nothing is happening. If I play injured, as they said last year, I am wrong. If I only think about myself, I am wrong."If I take it easy, I am wrong. If I play with pain or something that could aggravate it, I am wrong. It's complicated, huh? It's very difficult to get it right, man. Very difficult, very difficult to please everyone."What surprises me the most, I mean, it doesn't surprise me, it's the people, these people who seem to be by my side every day and start making up stories, saying this, as if it were the greatest truth in the world, as if they were the owners of reason. It's very complicated to be me, my goodness. I have to have the patience to put up with you guys, you know?"Neymar, 34, returned to play for Santos last month after having minor left knee surgery on Dec. 22.He is focusing on claiming a place in Brazil's World Cup squad.Neymar is expected to return to Santos' squad vs. Corinthians on Sunday. (Photo by Marco Buenavista/Sports Press Photo/Getty Images)Injuries have prevented Neymar, his country's all-time leading scorer with 79 goals, from playing for Brazil since Oct. 2023."I want to say that he's a very important player for the whole of Brazil," Vojvoda said. "He's preparing himself. He's a decisive player for Santos and he'll respond. When I see him train, I feel something special. There aren't many players like him, and we have to take care of this type of player."On Monday, Ancelotti will name the Brazil squad for this month's friendlies against France and Croatia.Brazil take on France on March 26 at the Gillette Stadium in Boston before facing Croatia on March 31 in Orlando.
