If Neymar was hoping for a gentle introduction to the new season then coming up against Colombia wasn't going to make that very likely.
The Brazil forward is yet to make an appearance for his club Paris Saint-Germain this campaign following an ankle injury sustained before the Copa America in June.
But the 27-year-old took to the field for Brazil's international friendly against their South American rivals in Miami on Friday night.
And he was lucky to emerge unscathed after being on the receiving end of a cynical barge from Colombia's Tottenham Hotspur defender Davinson Sanchez which sent the Brazilian skidding into the advertising boards.
This was an occasion when Neymar couldn't be accused of going down too easily and hamming up the theatrics, and he wasvisibly upset with the challenge which came late in the game against a side notorious for their hard-edged tactics.
It had however been a happy comeback up until that moment for Neymar, who set up Casemiro for the opening goal in the 20th minute and later tucked away a straightforward chance himself from close range as the game finished 2-2. Luis Muriel netted twice for Colombia.
Neymar now sits one goal behind Ronaldo on Brazil's all-time scoring chart, with 61 from 98 appearances. He still has some way to go to catch leader Pele (77 goals), although he should have plenty of years ahead of him to break the record.
His return to action follows the break down of a protracted return to Barcelona during the transfer window.
The world's most expensive player appeared close to returning to the Spanish champions, whom he left in 2017 to join PSG for a for €222 million (Dh908m), but the two clubs were unable to agree a deal.
