Brazilian supporters once dreamed that Neymar would lead them to another World Cup title. But instead of bringing glory, the superstar continues to bring heartbreak. Now, an even bigger concern is emerging—could the face of Brazilian football really be forced to play in the second division?
Nearly a year has passed since Neymar returned to his boyhood club Santos to prepare himself for the next World Cup cycle. But his homecoming hasn’t changed the club’s fortunes. Santos remain stuck in the relegation zone of the Brazilian Serie A with only three matches left.
His latest injury has made the situation even worse. Brazil’s all-time top scorer has been ruled out for the remainder of the season, leaving fans and analysts wondering:
“𝑰𝒔 𝑵𝒆𝒚𝒎𝒂𝒓 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒖𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒈𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒓?”
Legendary Stars Who Shockingly Faced Relegation
Neymar wouldn’t be the first global football icon to suffer such a fate. Several world-class players have experienced the drop despite remarkable careers.
Rio Ferdinand
The Manchester United legend was relegated in the final season of his career after joining Queens Park Rangers. A frustrated Ferdinand later admitted,
“Moving to QPR was a mistake.”
Júlio César
Former Inter Milan goalkeeper Júlio César also suffered relegation with QPR. He joined the club in 2012 and was relegated in his very first season.
He once said, “After seven and a half years at Inter, I never imagined I’d end up finishing at QPR.”
Franco Baresi
One of the greatest defenders in history, Baresi, was relegated twice with AC Milan. The first came in 1980 due to a match-fixing punishment, and the second two years later, after a poor season. Despite these setbacks, he remained loyal to the club throughout his 20-year career.
Gianluigi Buffon
Buffon was part of Juventus’ shocking relegation to Serie B in 2006. The team had actually finished first, but was demoted because of the infamous Calciopoli scandal. That squad included stars like Chiellini, Ibrahimović, Vieira, Del Piero, and Nedvěd.
Michael Carrick
Former Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick experienced relegation in 2003 while playing for West Ham. He spent another season in the Championship before moving to Tottenham.
Michael Owen
The 2001 Ballon d’Or winner was relegated with Newcastle United in 2009. Despite scoring eight goals in 28 matches, he couldn’t save the team from finishing 18th.
Also Read: Neymar Trains Despite Injury, Ignoring Doctor’s Advice
