Neymar Drops Shocking Retirement Bombshell: Could Football’s Star Exit by December?

This year is shaping up to be nothing short of monumental for Neymar — the Brazilian maestro who’s faced a relentless battle with injuries over recent seasons. Now back with Santos, he’s laser-focused on clawing his way back to peak condition, aiming to don the iconic yellow jersey once more at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Yet beneath this fierce determination lies a candid admission: this could well be the twilight of his glittering career. Speaking openly, Neymar reveals the uncertainty that shadows his future beyond this season, confessing that by year’s end, retirement might very well be on the horizon. This isn’t the first time whispers of his farewell have surfaced; even his father has shed light on those dark moments when the physical toll seemed too much to bear. As Neymar tactically navigates his comeback with Santos, balancing patience and performance, all eyes are on whether he can convince Brazil’s coach Carlo Ancelotti that he still has what it takes to ignite the Seleção on football’s grandest stage. It’s a story of grit, heart, and the edge between legend and legacy unfolding before us. LEARN MORE.

This year could be very special for Neymar for several reasons. After multiple consecutive seasons dealing with injuries, he appears determined to fully recover with Santos in order to return to the Brazil national team ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. But it could also mark the end of his professional career, as he himself admitted.

“This year is very important for Santos and for the Brazil national team because of the World Cup, so for me it is as well. It’s a very big challenge,” Ney said during a recent interview with CazeTV, making it clear that his goal is to reach top form again on the field.

However, the 34-year-old forward was brutally honest when discussing his future beyond the current season. “Right now, I’m taking things year by year. I don’t know what’s going to happen from here on out. I don’t know what will happen next year,” he acknowledged before delivering a striking line: “By December, I might want to retire. I don’t know. It will be whatever my heart decides.”

This is not the first time Neymar’s retirement has been part of the conversation. In fact, his father revealed that the Brazilian star seriously considered that possibility a few months ago, when his physical issues became unbearable. “I don’t even know if it’s worth operating. For me, that’s it,” were the words Ney himself reportedly said at the time, according to his father.

Neymar’s last appearance for Brazil was in October 2023.

Neymar focused on returning to full strength with Santos

While it is clear that Neymar’s main goal this year is to represent Brazil at the 2026 World Cup in North America, he understands that in order to secure a spot on Carlo Ancelotti’s 26-man roster, he must first deliver consistent performances with Santos and prove he is fully healthy.

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“I wanted to return this season at 100 percent, which is why I held back in some matches and took extra care of myself. I know a lot of people say a lot of nonsense, but they don’t know what happens day to day. They don’t know what it’s like,” Ney explained in the same interview. “Santos had a very good plan, and that helped me a lot in that sense.”

That is exactly how it played out. After missing the club’s opening matches of 2026, Neymar played 45 minutes and recorded an assist in Santos’ win over Velo Clube in the Campeonato Paulista on Monday. “Obviously I wanted to come back and help my team in the best way possible, but I ended up waiting a little longer to return at 100 percent — without pain, without fear, without anything — and I was able to come back very well in this last match,” the forward said.

Neymar targeting the World Cup

Getting back to full fitness was the first step Neymar needed to take this year in his pursuit of returning to the Brazil national team ahead of the World Cup. Now the next step is to show his best level on the field again, and he is confident he can do it.

“With a lot of training and a lot of perseverance, which is what drives me, I’ll be able to reach 100 percent. That’s what I want,” Ney explained. He now has roughly three months of club competition ahead, during which he will need to stay healthy and perform at a high level to convince Carlo Ancelotti that he deserves another opportunity with Brazil.