Neymar: Brazil star hints at possible retirement with 2026 World Cup set to be last tournament - ‘I’m living year to year’
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By Ben Grounds
Published 20/02/2026 at 21:05 GMT
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Neymar has offered his clearest indication that the end of his playing days may be approaching, conceding that he is uncertain whether he will still be competing by 2027. The former Brazil captain, long the standard-bearer of his generation, says he is "living year to year now" after making his comeback from undergoing knee surgery. Neymar has not featured for his national team since October 2023.
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Neymar has given the strongest hint yet that he could be set to retire at the end of the year, with the former Brazil captain admitting he is unsure whether he will still be playing into 2027.
Neymar, who is his country's all-time leading goalscorer, knows he faces a battle to be included by Carlo Ancelotti in the Brazil national team squad for the World Cup this summer.
The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain forward has been hampered by injuries since returning to his homeland and boyhood club Santos from Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal in January 2025.
The 34-year-old extended his contract at Santos until the end of 2026, but had to undergo minor left knee surgery last December, meaning he missed the start of the domestic season in Brazil.
Speaking to Brazilian online channel Caze, Neymar said: "I don’t know what will happen from now on, I don’t know about next year.
"It may be that when December comes, I’ll want to retire. I’m living year to year now."
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Neymar was influential in helping Santos avoid relegation last season
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Neymar made his latest comeback from injury in his team's 6-0 triumph against Velo Clube on February 16 as a second-half substitute as Santos qualified for the quarter-finals of the Campeonato Paulista.
"Obviously, I wanted to come back to help my team in the best way possible, but I ended up holding back a little so I could come back 100%," he added.
For Neymar, the road back has required patience. His 79 goals for Brazil are two more than Pele - but he has not featured for his country since a World Cup qualifying match against Uruguay in October 2023, when he suffered a torn left ACL and meniscus.
Since assuming command of the national team last May, Ancelotti has yet to recall the forward to the squad. Still, Neymar views the months ahead as pivotal.
"This year is a very important year, not only for Santos, but also for the Brazilian national team, as it's a World Cup year, and for me too," Neymar continued. "So it’s a huge challenge."
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At club level, there are encouraging signs. Santos manager Juan Pablo Vojvoda took positives from Neymar's 40-minute cameo this week, even if the forward squandered a good opportunity to score.
"I think everyone needs Neymar," Vojvoda said after the game against Velo Clube. "Santos, the national team... Ancelotti will be happy if he's doing well. One thing will lead to another."
Neymar played a decisive role in helping Santos steer clear of relegation last season, and his ambitions now stretch beyond domestic stability. A place in Brazil's World Cup squad remains firmly in his sights.
Repeated injury setbacks may have dimmed his aura on the global stage, but inside his current club there is no doubt that his competitive edge remains undiminished.
"He's a world-class player," Vojvoda added.
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"He still has that ambition. I see it in every little game, in every small-sided game in training, he wants to be there and he wants to win. That's what motivates him."
According to his father and agent, Neymar da Silva Santos Sr, the latest injury scare nearly brought his son’s glittering career to an abrupt end.
In a YouTube interview with Rafa Tecla T – Experiencias reais, Neymar Sr. recounted an emotional exchange that took place before surgery.
He said: "He got a meniscus injury, the press leaks it before we talk to him, and his head goes blank. It's so much to take in... I go to my son's house. 'So, how are you?'
"He turns to me and says, 'I can't take it anymore. Let's operate. Dad... I don't even know if it's worth operating. As for me, I've had enough.'"
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For a player whose career has been punctuated by brilliance, it was a stark confession. But his father urged him to shift his focus - away from frustration and toward recovery, redemption and the possibility of earning a recall under Ancelotti ahead of the World Cup.
"I said, 'Son, if you want to have surgery so we can focus on your recovery and you get well, I'm with you,'" Neymar Sr. added.
"The next morning he started training, kicking left, right ... Then he looked, shook his head, 'I think I can do it'. He went to the game and scored the goal.
"When he scored, he looked at me and said that he was going to the end."
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