Neymar’s Activities Before the Copa América
The Brazilian player has been injured, so his afternoons have been focused on playing golf.
Just a couple of days before the official start of the 2024 Copa América—one of the most important soccer tournaments—in the United States, Brazilian star Neymar Junior has shown off on social media that he has been dedicating himself to playing golf in his home country.
Neymar, who was not called up to the Copa América due to injury, posted on Instagram showing that he has improved his golf skills, a sport that has become popular among footballers and former players, such as Gareth Bale. The Al-Hilal player has been practicing for about two months, as at the beginning he couldn’t even hit the ball with the club.
The last time Neymar was on the field was on October 17th, when, during the South American qualifiers, he tore his anterior cruciate ligament against Uruguay. This injury is one of the most complicated in the soccer world and usually requires several months of recovery.
During the time Neymar has been out of action, various media outlets have speculated that he might terminate his contract with Al-Hilal; however, the former PSG player stated that he still has a contract until 2025 and hopes "to have a better season" next year.
"I have one more year left on my contract with Al-Hilal. I hope to have a great season. I missed this last one. Let's take it step by step. There is still a lot of time ahead. Obviously, Santos is my favorite team. Someday I want to go back, but I don't have any plans in my head," he concluded.
Brazil, on the other hand, will start its participation in the Copa América on June 24th, when they face Costa Rica. Besides the Ticos, the Brazilians share the group with Paraguay and Colombia.
Dorival Junior, Brazil's coach, has called up the following players to face the challenge of the Copa América:
GOALKEEPERS: Alisson, Rafael, Bento
DEFENDERS: Danilo, Yan Couto, Beraldo, Marquinhos, Militao, Gabriel, Arana, Wendell, Bremer
MIDFIELDERS: Andreas Pereira, Bruno Guimaraes, Douglas Luiz, Joao Gomes, Paquetá, Éderson
FORWARDS: Pepe, Endrick, Evanilson, Martinelli, Raphinha, Rodrygo, Savinho, Vinicius
