Brazilian star Neymar has extended his contract with boyhood club Santos until the end of 2026, signaling his intent to earn a spot in Brazil's FIFA World Cup squad. The 33-year-old, sidelined by injuries since 2023, hopes to prove his fitness under coach Carlo Ancelotti. Brazil opens its Group C campaign against Morocco on June 14, 2026.
Neymar, Brazil's all-time leading scorer who surpassed Pele with a brace against Bolivia in September 2023, has not played for the Selecao since suffering a torn ACL and meniscus in his left knee during a World Cup qualifier against Uruguay a month later. The former Paris Saint-Germain forward rejoined Santos in January 2025 after an injury-plagued stint with Al Hilal in the Saudi Pro League. Despite ongoing knee issues, including a meniscus problem that reportedly required arthroscopic surgery in December 2025, Neymar played through pain last season, scoring five goals in Santos' final five matches to help the club avoid relegation from Serie A. On November 28, 2025, he started and scored in a 3-0 win over Sport, which moved Santos out of the drop zone; they finished 12th.
The new contract extension underscores Neymar's determination to return to international duty. "2025 was a special and challenging year for me," he said via Santos' media channels. "Moments of joy and overcoming... 2026 has arrived, and the destination could not be different. Santos is my place... And it is with you that I want to conquer the dreams that are missing."
Santos president Marcelo Teixeira praised the move: "Having Neymar, our Prince, with us until the end of the year shows that our project to rebuild the club... remains firm... We are on the right track."
Under new coach Carlo Ancelotti, a five-time UEFA Champions League winner, Brazil aims for a record sixth World Cup title in 2026 across North America. Ancelotti has not ruled out Neymar but emphasized fitness: "He has to be 100 percent... It's not just Neymar; it could be Vinicius. If Vinicius is at 90 percent, I'll call up another player who is at 100 percent."
Neymar's last World Cup was in Qatar 2022, where he scored in knockout wins over South Korea and Croatia but exited on penalties to the latter. He has eight goals in 13 World Cup appearances overall. In late November 2025, Neymar expressed optimism: "I'm feeling better and better... This injury is sad... But it's nothing that will stop me from doing anything."
Santos begins its 2026 Paulista A campaign on January 10, though Neymar's involvement remains uncertain amid his recovery.
