Neymar receives shock Club World Cup offer from Santos' rivals as ex-Barcelona star approaches free agency

Fluminense got in touch with Neymar with a proposal to represent them during the upcoming Club World Cup in the United States. The 33-year-old forward, whose deal with Santos runs through to June 30, has not yet committed to an extension and is evaluating options both within Brazil and overseas. As speculation swirls around his next move, Fluminense saw a window of opportunity and acted swiftly.

Speaking on the Setor Sul podcast, Fluminense president Mario Bittencourt confirmed that the club had approached Neymar regarding a short-term arrangement focused solely on the Club World Cup. The effort, he revealed, was made in coordination with well-known manager Renato Gaucho, who maintains a personal relationship with Neymar.

"Yes, I did try to bring in great players. I'm talking about Neymar," he said. "To be honest, Renato Gaucho is a good friend of Neymar. I spoke to him and asked him what he thought about bringing in Neymar. He thought it was great and spoke to Neymar. He was kind, elegant, and told me to speak to his father."

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Before reaching out to Neymar’s representatives, Fluminense ensured transparency by contacting Santos president Marcelo Teixeira.

"I called the president of Santos. I said I wanted authorisation, and he said I could call," Bittencourt revealed. "Neymar’s father was very kind. He didn’t close the doors, he said he would like to hear from him. The idea was to bring him to play in the World Cup.

"It would be a deal between Fluminense and Santos. If he stays at Santos, it would be the moment when he would no longer play for Santos and would be representing us in the [Club] World Cup with Fluminense. The boards are friends. He said he would think about it, he would talk to the president of Santos."

Despite the gesture and the potential appeal of participating in an international club tournament, Neymar ultimately turned down the proposal. In a FaceTime conversation, he expressed gratitude for the interest but indicated that he intends to use the break in the Brazilian Serie A season to work on his fitness.

“On FaceTime, he was very polite," Bittencourt said. "He said he was honoured, he was flattered, that it would be a dream to play in the [Club] World Cup, but that his career plan would be to use this month to get in shape."

In the 2025 season so far, Neymar has featured in 12 matches for Santos, contributing three goals and three assists. Despite some flashes of brilliance, his campaign has also seen more injuries and moments of frustration, notably a recent red card for deliberate handball against Botafogo, ruling him out of Santos’ upcoming fixture away at Fortaleza on June 13.