Injury Report

World Cup: Brazilian star Neymar out of tournament with broken vertebrae

Neymar comes off field in a stretcher (July 4, 2014)

Brazil may be moving on to the semifinals of the 2014 World Cup after beating Colombia on Friday, but they'll be moving on at a very steep cost.


Star attacker Neymar, who has scored four goals for his country on their run to the final four, was stretchered off the field in the second half of Brazil's 2-1 win, after Colombian right back Camilo Zuniga sent his knee into Neymar's back.


In obvious pain, Neymar stayed on the ground as play continued and was eventually attended to by medical staff. He was reportedly transported straight to the hospital after leaving the field and further tests revealed a broken vertebrae, according to reports:

Although he didn't score in the quarterfinal, Neymar has been the leading light for the host country in the tournament. His corner kick led to Brazil's opener against Colombia.


There are no initial indications of who will replace him in Luiz Felipe Scolari's lineup for the semifinal against Germany on Tuesday (4 pm ET, ESPN/Univision).