Neymar's heroics for Santos have solidified his status as a modern legend - but World Cup swansong with Brazil would be a step too far

Neymar's final years at PSG and his entire stint in Saudi Arabia with Al-Hilal were completely overshadowed by injuries. Al-Hilal eventually terminated the enigmatic forward's contract after 18 months, and he subsequently re-joined Santos on an initial six-month contract in what was billed as a glorious homecoming. The fact was, however, that he had no other options.

Santos quickly learned that keeping Neymar on the pitch for any significant length of time would be a huge challenge. Indeed, he missed seven of their first nine league games of 2025 with a hamstring problem. His 100th home appearance for the club against Atletico Mineiro only lasted 34 minutes, too, as he was taken off the pitch in tears by a buggy after exacerbating the issue.

When he did play, there was the odd audacious piece of skill or killer through-ball, but he struggled to beat defenders and spent far too much time walking around aimlessly. He was also sent off for a blatant 'Hand of God' attempt in a 1-0 defeat to Botafogo, which came just before the Club World Cup-enforced break in the season and seemed to spell the end for his time at the club.

But Santos were not ready to give up on their prized academy jewel. On June 24, Neymar signed a renewal through to the end of the campaign to "fulfil the dreams that are missing in my career" and vowed "nothing will stop me". Initially, they proved to be empty words.

When the Brazilian top-flight resumed, Neymar played seven games in a row, his best run in three years, and scored three goals, including a brilliant brace in a 3-1 win over Juventude. But that Player-of-the-Match display was an anomaly.

Neymar clashed with supporters after damaging home losses to Internacional and Vasco da Gama, the second of which left the club just two points above the drop zone and in deep crisis. Inspired by Neymar's old Brazil team-mate Philippe Coutinho, Vasco ran out 6-0 winners to hand Santos the worst league defeat of their entire history, and frustrated fans marched to protest at the training ground.

Then, in mid-September, Neymar damaged the rectus femoris muscle in his right thigh, and did not recover until early November. Another low point followed upon his return to the starting line up, as Santos were beaten 3-2 at Flamengo. With his side 2-0 down after 66 minutes, Neymar ran back to take a short goal-kick, instructing his team-mates to be more patient in their build-up play, only for centre-back Luan Peres to instantly hoof the ball upfield. It was another humiliating moment for Neymar that confirmed he had not yet earned the full respect of everyone in the dressing room. 

He scored his first goal since August two weeks later as Santos played out a 1-1 draw with high-flying Mirassol, but there was no cause for celebration. He was also guilty of giving away the penalty that led to the home team's equaliser, and it was revealed after the game that he had suffered an injury to the meniscus in his left knee, the same one he tore alongside his anterior cruciate ligament during his last appearance for Brazil back in October 2023.

Neymar sat out Santos' next fixture against Internacional and was not expected to play again this season. Club doctors advised him to stop playing immediately and undergo surgery, while Globo Esporte revealed that any "major impact" could cause his knee to "burst". 

But when Santos played host to Sport Recife in a massive relegation six-pointer on November 29, Neymar was named in the starting XI. He proceeded to open the scoring with a trademark finish in the 25th minute, and provided the assist for Joao Schmidt to wrap up a 3-0 victory in the second half.

"Physically I've been doing well, I'm feeling better and better, obviously with this injury now it's sad, it's annoying, but it's nothing that will stop me from doing something, that's why I keep playing," Neymar said when quizzed on his condition. "Now it's time to think about Santos and where Santos deserves to be."

There was only a four-day turnaround before Santos' next outing away at Juventude, but Neymar started again, and that passion continued to shine through. He scored all three goals in another thumping 3-0 win, registering his first hat-trick since starring for PSG in a Ligue 1 clash with Clermont in April 2022.

Santos boss Juan Pablo Vojvoda hailed Neymar for putting on a "very good show", but that was an understatement; it was right up there with his most magical performances ever, and he did it on one fully functioning leg.

"I've always been Neymar, regardless of anything," he said to Prime Video in a clear message to his critics after the game. "I've never stopped trying to show my best."

Santos still needed a win on matchday 38 to be sure of safety, but showed no sign of nerves when third-placed Cruzeiro arrived at Vila Belmiro. Vojvoda's side scored three goals without reply for the third consecutive match to finish 12th in the table, and there were wild scenes of celebration among the relieved players, staff, and fans after the final whistle.

Neymar didn't get on the scoresheet, but he was dubbed "Christ the Redeemer of Santos" by Spanish outlet Marca after another standout performance that saw him post three key passes and a 90 per cent dribble completion rate. The whole stadium chanted his name in recognition of his super-human late-season efforts. "I confess that at the limit, it was with grit… But it was for you SANTOS!" the Brazilian later wrote on X.

He also confirmed that he will go under the knife for what is classed as minor surgery to fix his latest knee injury, before deciding on his future. Should his recovery run smoothly, there's a good chance Neymar will sign another six-month extension, with the 2026 season in Brazil due to start two months earlier than usual in January.

"We've already looked each other in the eye and agreed to schedule a meeting this week to calmly define this situation," Santos president Marcelo Teixeira has confirmed. "Alexandre Mattos and the medical department will detail when they will carry out the procedure with the athlete. We want Neymar to stay. We will adapt the contractual issues and our expectation is that Neymar will remain at Santos until the 2026 World Cup."

Neymar's World Cup "mission" doesn't seem so far-fetched now; if he can avoid any further fitness setbacks in the first half of the new season and continue making a decisive impact for Santos, calls for him to be included on the plane to North America will increase. It would be quite the story, too, when you consider how far Neymar has fallen. For the best part of 10 years, he was right up there with the best players on the planet, despite his persistent fitness troubles and 'party boy' reputation. 

Questions over his work ethic have always been asked, but he actually enjoyed greater longevity at the highest level than a host of Brazil icons, including Ronaldo Nazario, Ronaldinho and Kaka. At his very best, Neymar was a joy to watch; an unpredictable artist who bamboozled defences with his trickery. He made everything look effortless and had the end product to match his genius in the build-up play.

He's also Brazil's all-time record scorer, and has 12 goal contributions to his name from 13 World Cup appearances, including a stunning solo effort against Croatia at Qatar 2022. Neymar would become an immortal if he can finally get his hands on that elusive trophy, especially after everything he's been through in more recent times, and Ronaldo is among those pulling for him to make a comeback.

"Brazil can achieve anything with the players they have available," the 2002 World Cup winner said during the September international break. "Neymar can be, and I believe he will be, an important player in the World Cup. Everyone wants Neymar at 100%. That's what Ancelotti wants, and what he wants too. In his mind, I see a strong desire to be at the World Cup and help the Brazilian team."

That might have been Ancelotti's stance three months ago, but his patience had run out when asked about Neymar's chances of going to the World Cup for the 1,000th time at the group-stage draw in Washington DC on Friday.

"If we talk about Neymar, we have to talk about other players. We have to think about Brazil, which can be with Neymar or without Neymar, with other players or without other players," said the former Real Madrid boss. "I understand very well that they are very interested in Neymar, I want to clarify that we are in December, the World Cup is in June, I will choose the team that will go to the World Cup in May. If Neymar deserves to be, if he is well, better than someone else, he will play in the World Cup and period. I don't owe anyone a debt."

Neymar is fighting an uphill battle, because Brazil are blessed with incredible strength in depth upfront. Vinicius Jr, Raphinha, Rodrygo, Estevao Willian and Gabriel Martinelli are among those eyeing starting roles at the tournament under Ancelotti, and as it stands, Neymar is below all of them in the pecking order.

The harsh truth is, if the Selecao are to go all the way, they would be better off overlooking the Santos star. Yes, he's shown over the past few weeks that he can still be a match-winner, but what happens if he lines up on matchday one for Brazil against Morocco and has to come off injured? Ancelotti would have to throw out his game plan, and speculation over Neymar's fitness would then overshadow the remainder of their campaign.

Brazil can't rely on Neymar anymore and nor do they have to. He doesn't need a World Cup on his CV to be remembered as a generational great, either. He should focus on bringing Santos back towards the top end of Serie A, instead of potentially standing in the way of his country's progress.