The injury-prone striker, who plays for Saudi club Al Hilal, wants to ‘work very hard’ to be with Brazil’s squad at the next World Cup.
Brazil forward Neymar has announced that the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be his last, adding that he is confident Brazil will qualify for the finals in North America.
Once one of football’s most feared strikers, Neymar plays club football for Saudi pro-league side Al Hilal, but has been sidelined for a long time due to recurring injuries.
“I know this will be my last World Cup, my last shot, my last chance and I’ll do everything I can to play in it,” the 32-year-old striker, who hasn’t played for Brazil in more than a year, told CNN.
He also said in an interview with the American news network that he would not rule out a reunion with former Barcelona teammates Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez at major soccer club Inter Miami.
“Obviously, playing with Messi and Suarez again would be amazing,” Neymar said at the awards ceremony in Dubai.
Brazil struggled in the South American qualifiers for the World Cup.
After 12 out of 18 rounds played, they are fifth in the group of 10 national teams. But the top six are guaranteed World Cup places, with Brazil five points clear of Bolivia in seventh.
“I have a lot of faith in the team, in the players who are on the rise, who are young,” he said. “We are not in a position where we would like to be.
“I think that together we can achieve something very big. We have a year, a year and a half to work, to do the right things to get to the World Cup.”
Neymar started Brazil’s first four qualifiers but went off injured at half-time as they lost to Uruguay in October 2023. He was out for a year after knee surgery.
He returned for Al Hilal with two short appearances in October and November, but injured his hamstring and has not played since. He said he was aiming for the World Cup.
“I want to be there, I will try to do my best, work hard so that I can be with the Brazilian team.”
He will be 34 years old by the time the competition starts in the USA, Canada and Mexico.
Before that, he could play in the USA. Al Hilal will compete in the expanded Club World Cup in the USA in June, where Inter Miami will also compete with Messi and Suarez.
“They are my friends.” said Neymar, who also played with Messi at Paris Saint-Germain. “We still talk to each other. It would be interesting to revive this trio.”
“I’m happy in Saudi Arabia, but who knows? Football is full of surprises.
“When the news came out that I was leaving Paris Saint-Germain, the transfer window was closed in the United States, so I didn’t have that option.”
