Neymar vents frustration amid World Cup doubts

In this file photo, Brazil’s Neymar walks onto the pitch during his debut for Santos FC in a Sao Paulo league soccer match against Botafogo-SP, in Santos, Brazil. (AP)

RIO DE JANEIRO, March 11 (Xinhua): Neymar voiced frustration on Tuesday after he was left out of Santos' squad for its away clash with Mirassol, raising fresh doubts about his fitness ahead of this year's FIFA World Cup.

The 34-year-old had been expected to return from his latest injury absence in Tuesday night's Serie A fixture.

The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) had previously said national team manager Carlo Ancelotti would attend the match to assess Neymar before naming his squad for World Cup warm-up matches against France and Croatia later this month.

But the decision fueled concerns about whether the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain star would be ready for football's showpiece tournament in June and July.

"Since a lot of people are creating theories about what's happening with me: nothing is happening," Neymar said in a video on social media.

"If I play injured, like they said last year, I'm wrong. If I only think about myself, I'm wrong. If I hold myself back, I'm wrong. If I play with pain or something that could make it worse, I'm wrong. It's complicated, huh? Very hard to get it right, man. Very hard, very hard to please everyone." Neymar, who is Brazil's all-time leading scorer with 79 goals in 128 games, said he felt let down by people close to him but did not provide details.

"What surprises me the most, well, actually it doesn't surprise me, are people who seem to be by my side every day and start making up stories, saying this and that as if it were the absolute truth, as if they were the ones who know everything," he said.

"It's very complicated to be me, my goodness. I have to have a lot of patience to put up with you all." Neymar has made just three appearances for Santos this year after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in December.

He has not played for Brazil since suffering a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in a World Cup qualifier against Uruguay in October 2023, an injury that left him sidelined for more than a year.

Ancelotti has said he will only consider players who are playing regularly for their clubs when picking his World Cup squad.