Santos president speaks out on Neymar's future after ex-PSG & Barcelona superstar's latest injury setback

Neymar returned to Santos in January after a miserable, injury-plagued spell with Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia. The 33-year-old scored three goals and set up as many in seven appearances as his boyhood team reached the Paulista semi-finals, but he has since been ruled out with a hamstring issue.

The ex-Barcelona star signed a short-term deal that keeps him tied to the club until the end of June, but Santos president Teixeira says they hope to convince him to stay until the 2026 World Cup.

"Based on what we’ve been discussing, there’s a very good chance that, if he wants to and Santos wants to, we’ll renew our contract once again, with a view to staying until next year’s World Cup," he told TV Globo. "This is the main project, for six months, and with the viability that, with this situation and everything that’s happening, the chance of renewing our contract is very good."

Teixeira added on Neymar's ongoing fitness troubles: "There is no benefit to [Neymar’s injury]. There is a project, this work is independent of him playing... We really need to analyse and calculate the project, the continuity, the gains and the benefits of Neymar staying. We always want to count on Neymar. He has been doing this strengthening work. We hope that in this progress there will be the possibility of him returning."

Injury problems have kept Neymar out of the the Brazil squad since October 2023 but he will hope to return to full fitness and impressive form for Santos to boost his chances of making a Selecao return ahead of the next World Cup.