Neymar admits he considered retirement after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury while representing Brazil last year.

The Al-Hilal forward has only played 29 minutes since last October, when he sustained the serious knee injury during a 2-0 defeat to Uruguay in qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.

The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain star returned as a substitute in a 3-0 win over Iran's Esteghlal in the Asian Champions Elite League earlier this month, but he suffered a hamstring tear and is now expected to be sidelined until mid-December.

Speaking during an interview for Netflix's new documentary Saudi Pro League: Kickoff, the 32-year-old said his ACL injury was the worst he has experienced. 

"Some days when I wake up, I want to give up," he said in the documentary, which detailed his recovery. "I admit, this injury is the one that shook me the most in my career. 

"I was really sad, and very down mentally for the first month. I knew it was a serious and long-term injury. Being on the sidelines is tough. 

"The beginning of an injury is quite complicated. At the start, you only feel pain. I only felt the pain, I just wanted it to stop. 

"I wanted to bend my knee as quickly as possible so that I could regain my movement and make the pain go away."

Neymar then revealed his age made his recovery all the more difficult, adding: "If you don't have the people you love by your side, your family, your friends, then it can be difficult to come back from an injury like this.

"It really messes with your mind and your body. I'm not 20 any more, I was 31 when it happened. I'm very grateful to have my friends and family around."

Brazil recovered from a goal down to earn a 1-1 draw at home to a stubborn Uruguay side in Tuesday's CONMEBOL World Cup qualifier.

The hosts were booed by some quarters of their own support in Salvador following the result, which leaves them fifth in the table and five points inside the automatic qualification places.

It was a match of few chances punctuated by two moments of world-class quality, with Uruguay striking first.

Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde opened the scoring 10 minutes into the first half, curling into the bottom corner from the edge of the area to put Uruguay a goal up.

But seven minutes later, Gerson scored his first goal for his country to level things up, a brilliant volley from outside the box.

The draw has Uruguay in second place, two points above Brazil, who could have won it if not for Sergio Rochet's fine save to deny Gabriel Martinelli, and five behind leaders Argentina with six matches remaining.

Data debrief: Brazil struggle to break down Bielsa's Uruguay

Despite Raphinha, Vinicius Junior and Gabriel Martinelli all featuring in this game, Brazil could not find the quality to regularly trouble their visitors.

The home side managed just three shots on target during the match – one more than Uruguay.

While they won the xG battle 1.09 - 0.47, it will be a disappointment that they had 18 attempts in total and could only divert so few goalwards.

Brazil recovered from a goal down to earn a 1-1 draw at home to a stubborn Uruguay side in Tuesday's CONMEBOL World Cup qualifier.

The hosts were booed by some quarters of their own support in Salvador following the result, which leaves them fifth in the table and five points inside the automatic qualification places.

It was a match of few chances punctuated by two moments of world-class quality, with Uruguay striking first.

Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde opened the scoring 10 minutes into the first half, curling into the bottom corner from the edge of the area to put Uruguay a goal up.

But seven minutes later, Gerson scored his first goal for his country to level things up, a brilliant volley from outside the box.

The draw has Uruguay in second place, two points above Brazil, who could have won it if not for Sergio Rochet's fine save to deny Gabriel Martinelli, and five behind leaders Argentina with six matches remaining.

Data debrief: Brazil struggle to break down Bielsa's Uruguay

Despite Raphinha, Vinicius Junior and Gabriel Martinelli all featuring in this game, Brazil could not find the quality to regularly trouble their visitors.

The home side managed just three shots on target during the match – one more than Uruguay.

While they won the xG battle 1.09 - 0.47, it will be a disappointment that they had 18 attempts in total and could only divert so few goalwards.

Substitute Telasco Segovia delivered the pivotal goal that saw 10-man Venezuela hold Brazil to a 1-1 draw in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying.

The shock result leaves Brazil in third place, trailing second-placed Colombia by two points and far short of Argentina in first.

Brazil opened the scoring just before half-time as Raphinha curled a delightful free-kick over the Venezuela wall from 20 yards out to break the deadlock.

On the other side of the break, however, half-time substitute Segovia equalised just 41 seconds after the restart, striking from outside the box, having run onto Jefferson Savarino’s short lay-off.

The visitors were provided with a prime opportunity to restore their lead when Rafael Romo fouled Vinicius Junior in the box. But the Real Madrid forward was unable to capitalise on the resulting penalty, seeing his initial effort saved before firing the rebound wide.

As tensions rose, the game delivered further drama as Alexander Gonzalez received his marching orders in the 89th minute for lashing out at Vinicius after fouling Gabriel Martinelli.

In a farcical ending to the lively affair, sprinklers popped up in the pitch in added time to delay proceedings, but neither side could find a way through.

Data Debrief: Instant impact for super sub Segovia

Segovia's goal, 41 seconds after coming on, is the fastest for a player coming off the bench in the last three editions of the South American World Cup Qualifiers.

Venezuela have now scored two goals in the first 15 minutes of the second half, only Brazil (four) and Colombia (four) have scored more in the 2026 CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifiers.

Dorival Junior feels Vinicius Junior suffered an "injustice" by not winning the Ballon d'Or, as the Brazil head coach slammed the "unfair situation".

The Real Madrid winger failed to scoop the accolade despite scoring 24 goals and providing 11 assists last season, as Los Blancos won a LaLiga and Champions League double.

The club opted to skip the ceremony after hearing Vinicius Junior would miss out on the top award, which was won by Manchester City and Spain midfielder Rodri.

Madrid's decision not to attend generated mixed reviews. City head coach Pep Guardiola empathised with Carlo Ancelotti's side, but LaLiga president Javier Tebas accused them of "exaggerated victimhood".

Dorival acknowledges Rodri was deserving of the award, having helped City to an unprecedented fourth successive Premier League title before starring Spain's victorious Euro 2024 squad.

However, the Selecao boss believes Vinicius has every right to feel aggrieved at missing out.

"In my opinion, [it's] an unfair situation, especially because it is an individual award," Dorival told reporters during a press conference.

"Nothing against whoever won the award, quite the opposite. It is the recognition of one of the great players of Spanish football, but Vinicius - for the work he did - should have received different attention.

"But the greatest prize that Vinícius won was the recognition and respect of his people. The vast majority of the Brazilian people realised the injustice that was done to the player who could have deservedly received the award."

Brazil have won back-to-back competitive matches for the first time in over a year, having followed their 2-1 win in Chile last week with a 4-1 victory over Peru on Tuesday.

The hosts did have an initial scare though, with Edison Flores breaking clear to slot the ball past Ederson after 12 minutes, though the flag was immediately raised for offside.

Raphinha then hammered against the crossbar in the 24th minute, before putting his team a goal ahead from the penalty spot in the 38th minute - six minutes after the kick was initially awarded for handball against Carlos Zambrano, following a lengthy VAR review.

The Barcelona man then killed the game as a contest by scoring a second penalty nine minutes into the second half, also conceded by Zambrano.

Brazil continued to dominate before a spectacular 71st-minute volley from Andreas Pereira made their lead more comfortable. Luiz Henrique then added another three minutes later with a neat curling effort from the edge of the box.

Data Debrief: Brazil on the way back

Brazil have won back-to-back competitive matches for the first time since September 2023.

While they trail CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying leaders Argentina by six points, they have opened five-point gap to eighth-placed Venezuela in the first elimination spot.

But with another eight matches to come, including fixtures against Venezuela and Uruguay in November's international break, they will need to maintain their improved form.

Carlo Ancelotti's player management can turn Real Madrid's Endrick into a "great player", according to Brazil's World Cup winners Dida and Cafu. 

Endrick arrived in the Spanish capital from Palmeiras in July in a deal reportedly worth €60million, signing a six-year deal with the 15-time Champions League winners.

The 17-year-old has scored two goals in nine appearances across all competitions this season, though he has only featured for 107 minutes across those games. 

But Ancelotti has shown his faith in young players during his tenure with Los Blancos, with the likes of Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo all developing under his stewardship. 

Cafu, who made 119 appearances for Milan under Ancelotti, believes Endrick has the right man to guide him through the early stages of his promising career. 

"Ancelotti is a great coach, and he is really good at developing young players," Cafu told Stats Perform at Festival dello Sport in Trento, Italy.

"He's really good at managing them, he understands them and knows when it's the right time for them to play or when they need to stay on the bench.

"For someone like him he will be like a father who will give the right advice."

It was a sentiment echoed by Cafu's former Milan team-mate Dida, who hopes he can become an important player for Brazil ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

"We all know Carlo [Ancelotti], he knows how to manage all the champions," Dida added. 

"He knows how to make these kids grow even if they are already in an important team.

"And that is certainly something very nice for [Endrick], we hope he does well because he is a Brazilian who will surely do well with the [Brazil] national team.

"I hope that our national team always works with this type of players and we hope that Carlo, as always, does his job."

Endrick was picked for the Brazil national team for the first time in November 2023, becoming the youngest male player to secure a senior call-up since Ronaldo Nazario in 1994.

He netted his first goal for his national side in a 1-0 win over England at Wembley back in March this year, scoring again three days later in an entertaining draw with Spain.

Endrick was also part of Dorival Junior's squad for the Copa America.

After three substitute appearances in the group stage, he made his first start for Brazil, replacing Vinícius who was suspended for their quarter-final against Uruguay. 

However, he struggled during the contest, completing just one pass during the match, from kick-off, as they crashed out on penalties to Marcelo Bielsa's side. 

Though showing only glimpses of what he can become, Cafu believes the sky is the limit for Endrick. 

"Endrick can become a great player. He's young and has enormous potential and can grow a lot," Cafu concluded. "With Ancelotti as a manager, I'm sure he can become a top player."

Dorival Junior expects to see Brazil qualify for the 2026 World Cup following their 2-1 victory over Chile, despite inconsistent form so far.

The Selecao had lost four of their previous five qualifiers before winning this one, which had left them in fifth in the CONMEBOL table but perilously close to dropping out of the top eight.

The three points they earned in Chile saw them move up fourth, but there is still just a three-point gap between themselves and eighth-placed Paraguay, who beat Brazil 1-0 in the previous international break.

Given their recent form, a win in Chile was a welcome relief for Dorival despite a lacklustre performance.

"We are moving step-by-step, with a lot to fix, but little by little finding the way," Dorival said after the game.

"I'm happy to see the team's maturity, even though they're very young. We had balance and tranquility."

Should Brazil fail to qualify for the World Cup, it be the first time in history that they would have been absent from the competition.

Given that it would come after it has been expanded from 32 to 48 teams, giving CONMEBOL a further two qualification spots, would only add to the embarrassment.

But Dorival wanted to make it clear that he has faced selection issues over the course of this campaign.

Of the starters in Chile, only four players - Danilo, Marquinhos, Lucas Paqueta and Raphinha - started in the 2022 World Cup, while Alisson, Eder Militao and Vinicius Junior were all injured.

"A [team] renewal is not simple," Dorival said. 

"We don't have the structure that was set up for the previous World Cup and this ends up making the games even more difficult due to the balance between the youth of these boys and the experience of others that are there.

"We only had four players that finished the last match of the World Cup and that has considerable weight."

Despite the difficulties that both he and the team have faced, Dorival is of the belief that they will make it to the United States, Canada and Mexico in two years.

"We will arrive with a strong team in two years, but we will face some difficulties," he said.

Brazil defender Marquinhos came down on his coach's side when asked to give his thoughts after the match.

"Seeking changes is beside the point," he said. "I'm happy with Dorival, with the work he's been doing."

Dorival has been in the job for less than a year, having only been appointed as Brazil's head coach in January, though the Selecao also failed to impress at this year's Copa America.

The need for patience was something that Marquinhos was quick to point out.

"It's not easy, you have to give him time to understand the group he has in hand and use the pieces," he added.

"We showed that we have quality, many good players. We know the coach's ability, what a great professional and person he is.

"We are fully focused on seeking to improve and grow as a group and team."

Brazil fought back from a goal down to score an 89th-minute winner that completed a 2-1 comeback win over Chile.

The hosts went ahead in the second minute of Thursday's World Cup qualifier in Santiago when a looping header from Eduardo Vargas went past Ederson in goal, although it was an effort that should arguably have been saved.

While Chile had chances to extend their lead and had claims for a penalty in the first half, Brazil equalised in stoppage time through a close-range header from Igor Jesus.

The Selecao controlled much of the second half as they went in search of a winner, and they were able to find it a minute from time. Botafogo winger Luiz Henrique cut in from the right and bent a shot past the goalkeeper to earn his country three points.

It is a victory that moves Brazil up a place to fourth in the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying table, while Chile remain second-bottom, seven points behind an automatic qualification spot.

That they were able to get the result without some key players - Alisson, Eder Militao and Vinicius Junior are all injured - will have pleased coach Dorival Junior, for whom the result will ease some of the pressure.

Data debrief: Plenty to improve for Brazil

Prior to their victory in Chile, Brazil had been on a run of four defeats in five matches in World Cup qualifying.

This result leaves them three points ahead of eighth-placed Paraguay, who occupy the final elimination slot and beat Brazil 1-0 in the previous matchday.

Although Brazil found a way to win, this was the sixth qualifier in eight that they registered three shots on target or fewer.

Given that they have also conceded the second-most goals (nine) within the top eight, there is clearly still work to do from Dorival to get them performing at a higher level.

Eder Militao will miss Brazil's upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Chile and Peru due to a thigh injury.

The defender, who also missed September's fixtures due to a leg injury, first felt some discomfort against Atletico Madrid on September 29.

Though he has featured for Real Madrid since, he flew out to Sao Paulo to undergo checks on the issue, where the national team confirmed the extent of the injury.

"[Militao] underwent tests this Sunday... which revealed a minor muscle injury in his left thigh that will prevent him from playing," the CBF said in a statement.

He is the second Madrid player to pull out of the Brazil squad, with Vinicius Junior also unfit to play after suffering a neck injury.

Brazil sit fifth in South America's qualification table after eight matches, with 10 points. 

Brazil head coach Dorival Junior called for Neymar to be given as much time as he needs to make a full recovery from a knee injury before returning to the national side. 

Neymar ruptured his meniscus and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) while on international duty last October in a 2-0 defeat to Uruguay, missing the Copa America as a result.

The 32-year-old underwent surgery and returned to training with Al-Hilal in July, but he is yet to make his comeback, with head coach Jorge Jesus saying this week the Brazilian was not ready. 

Neymar is Brazil's all-time top scorer with 79 goals in 128 appearances and is 15 caps shy of breaking Cafu's record for the most outings for the Selecao. 

But the forward is again missing from the Brazil squad for their 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Chile and Peru next month, with Dorival saying he will wait until the right moment to welcome Neymar back into the fold. 

"We'll wait, we'll be patient, it doesn't matter if he can't come back in October, November or even February," Dorival said. 

"He needs to be confident, he needs to play and above all he needs to be completely healed from this injury.

"We are starting to realise how important he is.

"If he returns in the coming years, we will have one of the greatest players in world football at a remarkable moment in his career and in our national team."

Dorival recalled Barcelona winger Raphinha and Arsenal forward Gabriel Martinelli for their upcoming fixtures next month. 

Real Madrid trio Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo and Endrick were the other attacking options included for the five-time world champions.

Brazil have 10 points from eight qualifiers after losing four of their last five matches, leaving them fifth and just one point above Paraguay, who occupy the play-off spot.

Jamaica’s Valentino Evans reached the Round of 16 of both the U-14 Kata Male and U14 Kumite Male at the 2024 Pan American Karate Foundation (PKF) Cadet, Junior and U21 Championships held from August 26 to September 1 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Evans was beaten by Chilean Joaquin Ballestero in the Kata category before losing to Brazil’s Arthur Galante in the Kumite Male -40kg category.

The youngster won two medals at the Caribbean Karate Championships in Curacao in July.

He took bronze in the 12-13 Kata before going two better with gold in the 12-13 Kumite, his second straight Kumite gold after winning it in the 10-11 section at the 2023 Caribbean karate Championships in Santo Domingo.

He also won Kata silver at last year’s championships.

Vinicius Junior apologised to Brazil's supporters following their defeat to Paraguay, acknowledging "it is a difficult time" for the Selecao.

The five-time world champions were beaten 1-0 in Asuncion, with Diego Gomez's 20th-minute strike condemning them to a fourth defeat in five qualifying games.

Dorival Junior's side occupy fifth place in the CONMEBOL section - in which the top six nations automatically qualify for the 2026 World Cup, with the team finishing seventh entering the Inter-confederation play-offs.

Already eight points adrift of leaders Argentina, Brazil are now just one ahead of eighth-place Bolivia, and Vinicius knows he and his team-mates must do better.

"We apologise to the fans, who are always on our side," the Real Madrid forward told Sportv. "But this is a difficult time, we just want to improve.

"I know my potential, I know what I can do for the national team. Of course, it's been a very difficult process, because when you don't have confidence, you don't get goals, you don't get assists and good performances.

"We know the situation we're in, we want to get Brazil out of this situation at any cost, we all have to go home now and start thinking about what we can do to get back to playing well.

"We cannot come here, lose these points and play the way we did. It is a difficult time, we must take on board all the criticism and return as quickly as possible to put Brazil on top."

Meanwhile, Marquinhos believes Brazil are going through a transitional period, and that they are not brimming with belief as a result. 

"The coach is still figuring out the best way for us to play and that's reflected in the result," the defender told Brazilian TV Globo. "There are a lot of new players, we are lacking confidence.

"Qualifying isn't easy, it's a difficult time, and we have to know how to manage it. It's a time of transition, we're not feeling confident. We're going to work hard, getting results on the pitch is the best answer."

Diego Gomez's first-half strike stunned Brazil as Paraguay earned their first triumph over the Selecao since 2008 with a 1-0 World Cup qualifying victory in Asuncion.

Dorival Junior's side, who disappointed at the Copa America, slumped to a fourth defeat from their last five qualifiers and sit fifth in the 10-team CONMEBOL qualification group.

Inter Miami's Gomez struck the decisive blow in the 20th minute, sending a stunning effort with the outside of his foot beyond Alisson Becker and in off the post.

Brazil almost found an immediate response four minutes later, only for full-back Guilherme Arana to see his effort cleared off the line in the visitors' only shot on target in the opening 45 minutes.

Following the interval, Rodrygo threatened to level the scores but could only fire over from close range, with Roberto Fernandez turning Vinicius Junior's strike around the post as the game ticked into the final knockings.

But Paraguay were able to hold firm to secure a memorable victory, leaving them seventh in the standings and just a point behind Brazil in their quest to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

Data Debrief: Selecao stutter against stingy defence

Brazil rarely troubled Fernandez in the Paraguay goal, managing just three shots on target from the nine they attempted, registering an expected goals (xG) total of just 0.57.

Ballon d'Or hopeful Vinicius was credited with two of the Selecao's efforts, but struggled to make the desired impact, completing just one of his four attempted dribbles. 

Paraguay, however, remained resolute in their defending, and have now kept a clean sheet in five of their last eight World Cup qualifiers, with only Argentina (six) managing more shutouts.

Dorival Junior believes the pressure of being Brazil's main man can sometimes weigh Vinicius Junior down, just as it did Neymar in years gone by.

Brazil beat Ecuador 1-0 to end a three-match losing run in the CONMEBOL 2026 World Cup qualifiers on Friday, though their performance was far from convincing.

Rodrygo's deflected first-half strike handed Brazil a crucial three points, yet they were indebted to goalkeeper Alisson for making a huge one-on-one save to deny Moises Caicedo on the stroke of half-time.

Having endured a torrid time at the Copa America earlier this year, Vinicius was quiet again on Friday, failing to complete any of his four dribbles and losing possession 14 times – more than any other Selecao player.

Brazil's recent performances have come in for stern criticism at home, but Dorival believes everyone connected with the national team needs to have more patience.

"We want to see players in the condition where he produces at all times, in the same way he does at his club," Dorival said of Vinicius. 

"We always have cycles within the clubs themselves, we have moments when Rodrygo will be featured over a few months, soon Vini will enter this same condition. 

"We have to be very calm. This same expectation was generated around Neymar, that at all times Neymar had to be the solution to our problems."

Neymar himself has not played for either Al-Hilal or Brazil since rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament during the Selecao's 2-0 defeat to Uruguay last October.

Dorival cited his recovery as yet another area where Brazil's supporters must have more understanding. 

"If we have a little patience and receive Neymar at the moment the team is more balanced, I have no doubt he can make a very big difference with the ability he has, with those who are here," he added.

"We have to learn that these processes are lengthy and require time and patience, which we do not have in our country.

"I say again to the Brazilian fans: have a little calm, let's first regain the confidence of the Brazilian team. We have players of the highest level, who play in the biggest clubs in Europe, as well as in Brazilian football. 

"I have no doubt that we will have an aggressive team like the fans want, playing in a regular way and transmitting even greater confidence."

Brazil go to Paraguay for their next World Cup qualifier on Tuesday, having gone fourth in the 10-team group with Friday's slender victory.