Neymar refuses to leave Santos

Brazilian striker Neymar avoided discussing the possibility of retirement at the end of his contract with Santos yesterday, while his father insisted that he “will continue playing football.” The 34-year-old star ended his international career with the Brazilian national team following Selecao’s 16th-round defeat at the 2026 FIFA World Cup to Norway, in a match where he scored a penalty that narrowed the deficit without effect (1-2), before leaving the pitch in tears after the final whistle.

Neymar remains under contract with his beloved club until December next year. The all-time top scorer for the Brazilian national team said in a statement responding to a question about his future, during a charity auction he organized in São Paulo: “When my contract ends, I will consider staying with Santos, leaving, or stopping playing. I really don’t know what I will do.”

The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain player, who has been hampered by a series of injuries in recent years, added: “We take it one step at a time, match by match. I feel in good physical condition.”

He posed the same question to his father and business agent, Neymar da Silva Santos Jr., who jokingly replied: “Neymar loves playing football; what else would he do? He doesn’t have a medical degree yet, so he will continue playing.”

Neymar is often mocked for his lifestyle, having recently faced sharp criticism for participating in a poker tournament while his teammates were playing a Copa Sudamericana match in Venezuela.

Santos is scheduled to face Ecuador’s Macará next week in the round of 16 of the same competition.