Danilo admits plans to retire at Flamengo after 2026: "I'm sure I will..."

In partnership with

Coluna do Fla

·30 January 2026

Danilo admits plans to retire at Flamengo after 2026: "I'm sure I will..."

The Decision Will Be Made at the End of the 2026 Season

About to turn 35, Danilo admits he plans to retire at Flamengo at the end of the 2026 season. At least, that's the defender's idea at the start of the year. However, the player revealed that the plan could change depending on certain factors.

In an interview with GE, Danilo emphasized that the plan to retire is part of his current thinking. Thus, with the real possibility of hanging up his boots, the defender stressed that he wants to enjoy and make the most of every moment this season.

OneFootball Videos

At this moment, my thinking is that this will be my last season in football and that in December I will stop playing. I'm not setting this in stone. If I get to the end of the year feeling good mentally, physically, and still have a great connection with Flamengo, I could certainly play another year. But right now, my plan is to make the most of this season, a World Cup year… And then stop playing. After all, it has always been my goal to stop playing at a high level and not dragging myself, playing little.

Wishing for the season to go by very slowly, Danilo said he is scared by the prospect of stopping playing football. However, the defender made it clear that he will stay true to what he always planned for his own ‘end of career’.

I want it to go by slowly if this really is my last season. Many times people say: “But you seem so calm about it.” No! It's scary to have to leave something you've done your whole life and, even trying, in a way, to make that transition, doing other things, looking at other scenarios and already experiencing other things, it's an unknown life, it's totally uncertain, it's all new. I'm trying to stay true to what I always planned for my career and its ending. I want it to go by slowly so I can enjoy every training session, every moment of difficulty, every moment of glory. Because my career was made of this mix of moments and of always moving forward. But I want it to go by slowly to savor every moment, because I’m sure I’ll miss it afterwards.

What Is Danilo's Situation?

In short, on July 15, Danilo turns 35. The defender has a contract with Flamengo until December 2026, which means he has entered the final year of his deal with the Most Beloved. With this, the player plans to put his retirement plan into action.

However, as Danilo made clear, the decision is not final and will depend on his condition at the end of the 2026 season. Therefore, nothing prevents the player from renewing his contract with Flamengo for another year to retire in 2027.

Despite this, Danilo considers it special to ‘bow out’ precisely in a World Cup year. That's because the defender is practically guaranteed to be called up by Carlo Ancelotti for the Brazilian National Team.

And Meanwhile?

While the final decision has not been made, Danilo continues to recover from pain in his left knee with the Medical Department at Flamengo. After playing through pain at the end of 2025, the number 13 has not yet taken the field this season.

In the meantime, it is still not possible to confirm that Danilo will be available for Flamengo in the Supercopa do Brasil, against Corinthians. The first title match of the season takes place this Sunday (01), starting at 4pm (Brasília time), at Mané Garrincha Stadium, in Brasília.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.