Neymar’s ACL injury compounds troubled start to his next chapter as Ronaldo and Messi thrive

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — In what has become an all-too familiar sight, Neymar left the soccer field in tears after yet another injury — this time with a torn ACL and meniscus.

Quite a contrast to Lionel Messi’s smiles at Inter Miami and Cristiano Ronaldo’s reenergized success with Portugal.

Neymar damaged his left knee in the first half of Brazil’s 2-0 World Cup qualifying loss at Uruguay on Tuesday. On Wednesday, the extent of the injury was confirmed by his Saudi club Al Hilal, which said he would undergo surgery.

At the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, a knee to the back from Colombia defender Juan Zuniga in the quarterfinals ruled Neymar out of the tournament with a fractured vertebra. Then last year in Qatar, there were more tears when Neymar feared an ankle injury would cut his tournament short. Instead, it was a loss to Croatia in the quarterfinals that prematurely ended his bid to win soccer’s biggest trophy.