Brazil striker Neymar has been diagnosed with COVID-19 and is currently receiving treatment, according to a statement from his club, Santos.
“With a viral condition that began on Thursday (June 5), Neymar Jr. underwent laboratory tests, after evaluation by the Medical Department of Santos FC, which confirmed infection by Covid-19,” the club said in a statement.
“The player had already been away from activities since Thursday, when he began showing symptoms, and remains resting at home and undergoing symptomatic treatment, as determined by a doctor.”
This marks the second occasion the forward has contracted the virus; he previously tested positive in May 2021 while playing for Paris Saint-Germain. After four months of recovery, he had returned ‘super happy’ to training.
Neymar, 33, has been finding it challenging to regain peak performance since leaving the French club in 2023 and is now playing for his childhood club, Santos.
Despite holding the record as Brazil’s top goalscorer with 79 international goals, his most recent international match was in October 2023, during a 0-2 defeat to Uruguay, where he was carried off the field due to an injury.
He also missed the Copa America 2024 and was left out of Carlo Ancelotti’s squad for the ongoing World Cup qualifiers against Ecuador and Paraguay.
A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.
Nnamdi Okoli
