Neymar signs new Santos deal, targets Brazil return

Brazil forward Neymar has extended his contract with Santos until the end of 2026 as he seeks to earn a World Cup call-up.

The 33-year-old, who returned to his boyhood club in January 2025, has not represented five-time World Cup winners Brazil since 2023 amid his struggles with injuries.

The former Barcelona and Paris St-Germain forward played through pain to help Santos avoid relegation from Brazil’s top flight last season, scoring five times in their last five matches.

He then had surgery on his left knee to repair a damaged meniscus, to boost his hopes of being included in Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti’s plans this summer.

Neymar’s hat-trick lifts Santos out of relegation 

“Santos is my place, I’m at home,” Neymar said in a video posted on the club’s social media.

He told the fans: “It’s with you that I want to achieve the dreams that are still missing.”

Ancelotti said in October that Neymar, Brazil’s all-time leading goalscorer with 79 goals, must be fully fit to earn a recall.

Neymar spent 12 months out after he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in October 2023.

He was due to make his return to the national team last year after a 17-month absence but was forced to withdraw from the squad with a muscle injury.

Brazil will face Scotland, Morocco and Haiti in Group C at the World Cup, which begins on 11 June across Canada, Mexico and the United States.

(BBC)