Neymar to miss Brazil’s next World Cup match with ankle injury

25.11.2022 - 19:55 arabnews.com

DOHA: Neymar will sit out Brazil’s next World Cup game after he suffered an ankle injury in his team’s opening win against Serbia, the team doctor said on Friday.

The Paris Saint-Germain star suffered the injury in the 2-0 victory against Serbia on Thursday when he collided with Nikola Milenkovic during the second half.

The 30-year-old tried to continue but was substituted with about 10 minutes to go and underwent an examination on Friday. Rodrigo Lasmar, the doctor for the Brazilian football federation (CBF), said the 30-year-old had suffered “ligament damage” and would miss the match against Switzerland on Monday.

Brazil right-back Danilo will also miss the second Group G game with an ankle strain. “We will not have these two players for our next match but they continue their treatment with the aim of recovering in time for the rest of the competition,” the doctor said in a video released by the CBF.

FIFA World Cup cup Lionel Messi Diego Maradona Leroy Sané Nikola Milenkovic Argentina Qatar Germany Switzerland Serbia Brazil Colombia Doha Senegal Saudi Arabia

LUSAIL, Qatar: Luka Modric pulled his shirt up over his face as he trudged over to the sideline.

Argentina and Messi in World Cup showdown with Modric’s Croatia

DOHA: Argentina and Lionel Messi face Croatia on Tuesday in a World Cup semifinal that pits South American flair against the guile of Luka Modric and a remarkable fighting spirit. In the second semifinal on Wednesday, reigning champions France take on giant-killing Morocco, the first African team ever to reach the last four of a World Cup. But first all eyes will be on the cavernous Lusail Stadium, where Messi, now 35, will attempt to guide Argentina into the final for the second time in eight years against the beaten finalists in 2018. Messi, who suffered defeat to Germany in the 2014 final, is desperate to crown an extraordinary career by finally winning the World Cup and emulating another Argentinian legend, the late Diego Maradona. The Paris Saint-Germain forward was a pivotal figure in Friday’s stormy quarter-final win over the Netherlands, when a record 18 yellow cards were shown and players from both sides were involved in a melee as the referee fought to regain control. The match ended with Argentina players appearing to taunt their distraught Dutch opponents before sprinting away to celebrate after a penalty shoot-out win. Even the normally mild-mannered Messi was caught up in the bad blood, shouting abuse at Dutch players while he was being interviewed after the game. Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni defended his players’ conduct in an eve-of-game news conference on Monday, insisting they had nothing to apologize for. “The game the other day was played in the right way by both teams. That is football,” said the 44-year-old Argentina coach. “I don’t buy this idea that we don’t know how to win. The game was played in the right way.”

After Neymar, Croatia aim to end Messi’s World Cup dream

AL KHOR, Qatar: Croatia have already ended Neymar’s World Cup dream. Now they hope to do the same to Lionel Messi.

Neymar ‘psychologically destroyed’ by World Cup exit

DOHA: Neymar said Saturday he was “psychologically destroyed” by Brazil’s elimination from the World Cup in a penalty shootout defeat to Croatia and admitted it hurt more than any other loss in his career. The 30-year-old scored a superb individual effort to equal Pele’s record goalscoring haul of 77 goals for the Selecao in Friday’s match that finished 1-1 after extra time. But he never got to take a spot kick in the shootout that Croatia won 4-2 to move into the semifinals.

Giroud takes France into World Cup semis as Kane penalty miss costs England

AL KHOR, Qatar: Olivier Giroud scored the winner and Harry Kane missed a late penalty as holders France beat England 2-1 in a tense World Cup quarter-final on Saturday. Aurelien Tchouameni had swept France into a first-half lead only for Kane to equalize from the spot nine minutes into the second half.