Neymar avoids discussing retirement, while his father rules it out

Brazilian striker Neymar avoided discussing the possibility of retirement at the end of his contract with Santos on Monday, 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 exit from the 2026 FIFA World Cup to Norway. In that match, he scored a penalty that narrowed the deficit, but it proved futile as Brazil lost 2-1. He left 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 responded to questions about his future during a charity auction he organized in São Paulo, saying, “When my contract ends, I’ll consider staying with Santos, leaving, or stopping playing. I really don’t know what I’ll do.”

The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain player, who has been plagued by a series of injuries in recent years, added, “We take it step by step, game by game. I feel in good physical shape.”

The same question was posed to his father and business agent, Neymar da Silva Santos Sr., who jokingly replied, “Neymar loves playing football. What else would he do? He doesn’t have a medical degree yet, so he’ll keep playing.”

Neymar has often faced ridicule for his lifestyle, recently drawing sharp criticism for participating in a poker tournament while his teammates were competing in the Copa Sudamericana in Venezuela.

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