Neymar got injured during the 2014 World Cup, and it ended his tournament. He suffered a fractured vertebra after a challenge from Colombia’s Juan Camilo Zúñiga in Brazil’s quarter-final win, and he was taken off in tears and ruled out of the rest of the competition.

What happened

  • Brazil beat Colombia 2-1 in the quarter-finals.
  • Late in the match, Zúñiga kneed Neymar in the back.
  • Neymar was diagnosed with a broken bone in his back, specifically a fractured vertebra.
  • The injury kept him out of the semi-final and third-place match.

Why people remember it

It became one of the most talked-about moments of that World Cup because Neymar was Brazil’s biggest star and their top scorer at the time. Brazil then lost 7-1 to Germany without him, which made the injury feel even more devastating for fans.

Quick scoop

Neymar’s 2014 story is basically: brilliant World Cup run, then a brutal back injury in the quarter-finals that knocked him out for the rest of the tournament.

TL;DR: Neymar broke a bone in his back at the 2014 World Cup after a foul by Juan Camilo Zúñiga, and Brazil had to finish the tournament without him.