Neymar returns to Santos with questions hanging over his future

Neymar returns to his home club Santos on Friday with only a few months left in his contract and questions over his future after indicating he would no longer play for Brazil following the country’s World Cup disappointment.

The injury-plagued Neymar was included in the World Cup squad almost three years after he last appeared for Brazil, and played only 37 minutes across two matches.

His only goal — a penalty — was not enough to prevent an early exit for Brazil after a 2-1 defeat to Norway in the Round of 16.

An AI-generated video created by a fan circulated on social media showed a young Neymar asking the current Neymar to chase a sixth World Cup title with Brazil in 2030.

Brazil’s all-time leading scorer added a comment: three laughing/crying emojis.

The striker returned in January 2025 to his boyhood club Santos from Saudi club Al-Hilal, and his contract runs out in December.

After undergoing left-knee surgery late last year, Neymar played in only eight of the 19 matches Santos contested in the 2026 Brasileirao — the country’s top football league.

Nevertheless, he tallied four goals and two assists, offering glimpses of the footballer who dazzled fans at Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain.

A source at Santos told AFP that the renewal of Neymar’s contract will largely depend on board elections in December.

Santos president Marcelo Teixeira, who spearheaded Neymar’s return, has not said whether he will seek re-election.

“The first question was whether Neymar would stop playing,” a club official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

“It ends here,” Neymar said after Brazil’s loss to Norway, which saw him collapse in tears after the final whistle.

Amid press speculation about a permanent retirement, his father and agent, Neymar Santos Sr, urged him not to give up.

“Son, keep playing football. Feel the joy of having the ball at your feet again; smile on the pitch again,” he wrote in a letter released via an Instagram video.

“Don’t be afraid of tomorrow.”

Media reports have indicated that Neymar is considering continuing his career with US Major League Soccer (MLS), and that negotiations had taken place with FC Cincinnati but fell through.

The MLS is home to veteran stars such as Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), Frenchman Antoine Griezmann (Orlando City), and German Thomas Mueller (Vancouver Whitecaps).

AFP