Neymar turns 34, wishes for good health to keep his Copa dream alive | OneFootball

Neymar turns 34 this Thursday and, more than ever, enters the new cycle wishing for health. After all, 2026 is a World Cup year, the main goal for the attacking midfielder from Santos.

Besides his birthday, the date also marks one year since the star's return debut with the Peixe jersey. On February 5, 2025, he played for 45 minutes in a 1-1 draw with Botafogo-SP in the Paulista Championship. Since then, he has experienced ups and downs.

Neymar faced four injuries over the last season, each with recovery periods of about a month. In March, he had an edema in his left thigh; in April, a contusion in the semimembranosus muscle, also in the left thigh; in September, he suffered an injury to the rectus femoris of the right thigh; and, in the final stretch of the Brasileirão, he played with discomfort in the meniscus of his left knee.

Even with the meniscus injury, Neymar chose to play through the pain to help Santos in their fight against relegation — and he succeeded. In the last four rounds, he was decisive: he scored five goals, provided an assist, and achieved a hat-trick against Juventude.

The forward ended the season as Santos' second top scorer, with 11 goals and four assists in 28 games, 23 of which he started.

Dream alive!

His performance in the final stretch strengthened his dream of playing in the 2026 World Cup. Neymar once again showed his decision-making power and left the final choice about his call-up in the hands of coach Carlo Ancelotti. For the number 10, the World Cup has become more than just a desire; it has become a personal mission.

In 2026, however, Neymar has yet to take the field. The attacking midfielder, who renewed his contract with Santos until the end of the season, underwent arthroscopy in December to treat the meniscus in his left knee. At 34, the number 10 returned to training with the squad last week and is eagerly awaiting to be selected by coach Juan Pablo Vojvoda soon.

The coaching staff, however, is cautious. The priority is for the black-and-white idol to reach his best physical condition before returning to the pitch. The challenge is time: the World Cup takes place in June.

So far, Neymar has not been included in any of Carlo Ancelotti's call-ups, who has made it clear that he will only call players in full physical condition. In March, the coach will make the last call-up before finalizing the list for the World Cup.

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