SAO PAULO: Neymar has agreed to extend his contract with Santos until the end of 2026, the Brazilian club announced on Tuesday, as the forward continues to chase a return to the World Cup despite recent injury setbacks.
The 33-year-old rejoined his boyhood club in January 2025 and played a decisive role in keeping Santos in Brazil’s top flight, scoring five goals in their final five matches of the season.
“Santos is my place, I’m at home,” Neymar said in a video shared on the club’s social media channels. “It’s with you that I want to achieve the dreams that are still missing,” he added, addressing the fans.
Neymar, who has endured a series of injuries in recent years, underwent successful arthroscopic knee surgery last month. The former Barcelona and Paris St Germain star remains Brazil’s all-time leading scorer with 79 goals but has not represented the national team since 2023.
Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti said in October that Neymar would need to be fully fit to earn a recall. The five-time world champions will face Scotland, Morocco and Haiti in Group C of the World Cup, which runs from June 11 to July 19 in Canada, Mexico and the United States.
