Neymar makes retirement admission as former Barcelona star targets Brazil World Cup squad

The former Barcelona star rejoined boyhood club Santos last year SportFootballNeymar makes retirement admission as former Barcelona star targets Brazil World Cup squadThe former Barcelona star rejoined boyhood club Santos last yearPress Association Sport Friday 20 February 2026 20:11 GMTBookmarkCommentsGo to commentsBookmark popoverRemoved from bookmarksClose popover"If Neymar deserves to be there, he'll be there" says Ancelotti after World Cup drawYour support helps us to tell the storyRead moreSupport NowFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read moreBrazil forward Neymar is reportedly considering retirement at the end of the current season, stating he is "living year to year".The 34-year-old, who joined boyhood club Santos last year from Saudi side Al-Hilal, has faced recent injury problems, including a knee issue. Despite this, he hopes to feature for his country in this summer’s World Cup, though he remains under contract until the end of 2026. “I don’t know what will happen from now on, I don’t know about next year,” he told Brazilian channel Caze.“It may be that when December comes, I’ll want to retire. I’m living year to year now.“We will see what my heart decides. It depends on what my heart says later in the year.“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. I wanted to play this season totally 100 per cent.”(AFP/Getty)Neymar, who is Brazil’s leading scorer of all time with 79 goals in 128 caps, has played at three World Cups. The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain star has not featured for the five-times World Cup winners since 2023 due to a succession of injuries. In December, Neymar underwent successful surgery on his knee by the Brazilian national team's doctor Rodrigo Lasmar."An arthroscopy was performed to treat a medial meniscus injury. The surgery was a success, and the athlete is doing well," Santos said at the time.Neymar previously shared the stage with singer Thiaguinho to issue a bold promise to the nation, trying to incentivise Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti to bring him back into the fold. "We are going to do everything possible, even the impossible, to bring this World Cup back to Brazil," declared the forward. "In July, you can hold me accountable. Come on, Ancelotti, help us out, okay?" When once asked about Neymar returning to the national team, Ancelotti said he must be fit if he is to earn a recall to the squad for next summer’s tournament held across the United States, Canada and Mexico.Brazil will face Scotland, 2022 World Cup semi-finalists Morocco and Haiti in Group C.More aboutBrazilNeymarRetirementCarlo AncelottiJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesCommentsMost popularPopular videosBulletinRead next