Neymar has not ruled out the possibility of retiring from club football once his contract with Santos comes to an end this December.
The experienced forward has participated in three of Santos’ last four matches since rejoining the club after representing Brazil in his fourth World Cup.
After recently announcing his retirement from international football, Neymar indicated he has not yet decided on his future at the club level.
“I’m unsure how long I’ll keep playing; I’m not contemplating retirement yet, nor do I know how long I’ll continue,” said Neymar, 34, during a video on his YouTube channel while attending the Neymar Jr. Institute auction in São Paulo.
“I have a contract with Santos that runs until December. My intention is to honor that contract and represent the Santos shirt to the best of my ability. After that, I’ll assess my options—whether to stay at Santos, move on, retire, or keep playing. Honestly, I don’t know what my next steps will be.”
“There’s still a lot of time left until December, so I’ll take things one step at a time.”
As Brazil’s all-time leading scorer with 80 goals, Neymar faced challenges this summer, limited by injuries to just two appearances in Brazil’s five World Cup matches.
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“I’m feeling physically well, improving more and more on the pitch,” Neymar expressed. “That’s the priority. I aim to keep improving, even if I’m approaching the end of my career. I am grateful for all my experiences so far and for what life has given me. I have no complaints about my career.”
Neymar returned to Santos, his boyhood club, in January 2025, aiming to regain his fitness after a series of injuries during his time with Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal. After helping the team avoid relegation, the former star of Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona renewed his contract with Santos until December.