Neymar failed to live up to expectations when he returned to Santos in January this year after playing less than 10 games in more than two years with Al-Hilal. On his return to the club where he made his name in world soccer, it seemed that the top scorer would return to the best moments of his career, seeking a return to the Brazil national team.
His first games in the state tournament were good performances against teams that were far inferior technically, but injuries again bothered Neymar due to his lack of physical fitness and focus on his career, getting him involved in off-field controversies and becoming very distant from the day-to-day running of the club. Despite this, Neymar got another chance in his career with Santos.
The Brazilian team have officially announced the renewal of Neymar's contract until December this year, when the 2025 Brazilian soccer season comes to an end. Contrary to the club's wishes and the initial talks, there was no contract extension until the 2026 FIFA World Cup, as Neymar still dreams of a return to top-level European soccer.
Neymar thinks about playing in the World Cup with Brazil in 2026
Many reports indicated that Neymar tried to speed up his physical recovery in order to accelerate his return to the Brazil national team when Dorival Júnior was in charge. The former coach even revealed in press conferences that he was shaping the formation and line-up of the Brazil national team around Neymar, having to abruptly change his plans when the injury occurred at the start of the year.
Dorival Júnior was sacked and Carlo Ancelotti was hired with the mission of making Brazil world champions again, something that hasn't happened since 2002. Knowing how Ancelotti and his coaching staff work, Neymar will no longer have a seat in the national team and will need to work hard to regain his fitness and attract the attention of the former Real Madrid coach in order to think about and aim for a chance to play in his last World Cup.