Neymar has revealed he is considering retirement at the end of the year, though the former Brazil captain remains determined to feature at the upcoming World Cup before making a final decision on his future.
The 34-year-old forward, who returned to his boyhood club Santos in January 2025 after a spell with Saudi side Al-Hilal, admitted he is now taking his career “year by year” following a series of injury setbacks.
Neymar endured an injury-interrupted first season back at Santos but extended his contract until the end of 2026. However, he missed the start of the Brazilian campaign in January after undergoing knee surgery in late December 2025.
He made his return as a second-half substitute in the São Paulo state championship on 16 February 2026, 11 days after celebrating his 34th birthday.
“Obviously, I wanted to come back to help my team in the best way possible, but I had to hold back a little to return at 100 per cent,” Neymar said in an interview with Brazilian online channel Caze.
The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain striker admitted uncertainty surrounds his plans beyond this year.
“I don’t know what will happen from now on, I don’t know about next year. When December comes, maybe I’ll want to retire. I’m living year to year now,” he said.
Despite the doubts, Neymar underlined that 2026 holds special importance. “This year is very important – not only for Santos but also for the Brazilian national team, because it’s a World Cup year, and for me too. It’s a huge challenge.”
Neymar remains Brazil’s all-time leading scorer with 79 international goals, surpassing Pelé by two. However, he has not represented the national side since October 2023, when he suffered a serious knee injury against Uruguay.
Since Carlo Ancelotti took charge of Brazil in May 2025, Neymar has yet to receive a call-up, but the forward has made clear that representing his country at the World Cup remains a primary objective before he contemplates stepping away from the game.
