Neymar: Brazil legend drops shock retirement hint ahead of World Cup | OneFootball

Star forward could struggle to break into Carlo Ancelotti’s squad this summer

Neymar has revealed that he could retire at the end of the year.

The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain forward, 34, now plays back in his native Brazil, at his boyhood club Santos.

He made his name in the Brazilian league, before earning a big-money move to Spain to play for Barcelona.

There, he forged a legendary trio with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, winning La Liga twice, the Copa del Rey three times, and the 2014-15 Champions League.

He then became the most expensive footballer of all time when Paris paid £200million to bring him to the French capital.

There, he made 173 appearances, scoring 118 goals. He won five Ligue 1 titles, three Coupe de Frances, and reached the 2019-20 Champions League final.

In an interview with Brazilian channel Caze, Neymar, who is Brazil's all-time leading goalscorer with 79, revealed that he did not know what would happen in 2027.

"I don't know what will happen from now on, I don't know about next year," he said.

"It may be that when December comes, I'll want to retire. I'm living year to year now.

"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.”

Neymar moved back to Brazil after an injury-hit stint in Saudi Arabia at Al-Hilal.

He moved back to his homeland in January 2025, rejoining Santos before signing a contract extension until the end of this year.

The forward has struggled with injuries once more, having knee surgery back in December.

He returned to the pitch last week, coming off the bench in Santos’ 6-0 cup win over Velo Clube.