Neymar hints at possible retirement after the 2026 World Cup

Former Brazil captain Neymar said he is considering retiring at the end of the year after being hampered by injuries, but hopes to get to the 2026 World Cup first.

The ex-Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain striker returned to his boyhood club Santos from Saudi club Al-Hilal in January 2025.

After an injury-interrupted first season, he extended his contract until the end of 2026, but then missed the start of the Brazilian season in January after undergoing knee surgery in late December.

«I don’t know what will happen from now on, I don’t know what next year is,» the striker told Brazil’s online channel. Caze.

«I may want to retire in December. I’m living from year to year now,» he added.

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He made his return as a second-half substitute in a Sao Paulo championship match on February 16, 11 days after his 34th birthday.

“Obviously I wanted to come back and help my team in the best way possible, but in the end I held back a little bit so I could come back 100 percent,” he said.

Neymar is Brazil’s all-time top scorer with 79 goals, two more than Pelé, but has not played for the national team since October 2023, when he suffered a serious knee injury against Uruguay.

Carlo Ancelotti has not called up Neymar since he took over as Brazil coach last May.

“This year is a very important year, not only for Santos, but also for the Brazilian national team, as it is a World Cup year, and also for me,” Neymar said. “So it is a huge challenge.”

Published on February 20, 2026