Brazil's Neymar feared for his World Cup after ankle injury
Brazil's Neymar after qualifying for the quarter-finals in Stadium 974, Doha, Qatar on Dec 5, 2022. (File photo: Reuters/Kai Pfaffenbach)
DOHA: Brazil striker Neymar said he had feared the World Cup might be over for him after hobbling off in his first match in Qatar with a heavily swollen ankle, making his scoring return in Brazil's 4-1 last-16 win over South Korea on Monday (Dec 5) all the sweeter.
Neymar converted a 13th-minute penalty to make it 2-0 to Brazil against the Asian side in his first appearance for the national team since his injury against Serbia on Nov 24.
"The night I got injured was very hard for me because I had a thousand things in my head - doubts, fears - but I had the support of my teammates and my family," he told reporters, saying he had cried that evening.
"I had to find strength where there wasn't any."
He thanked his fans for their messages of support and Brazil's medical team for their work on his recovery, adding he felt no pain in his ankle on Monday's match.
Brazil is due to face Croatia in the World Cup quarter-finals on Friday. They beat Japan on penalties earlier on Monday after their last-16 tie finished 1-1.
