'My last shot!' - Neymar vows to 'do everything I can' to make Brazil's squad for 2026 World Cup amid injury nightmare at Al-Hilal

In October 2023, Neymar sustained two severe injuries at the same time, tearing his anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus during Brazil's 2-0 loss to Uruguay in World Cup qualifiers. This sidelined him for arond a year, forcing him to miss crucial games for both his national team and new side Al-Hilal. His return at the end of 2024 was short-lived as he suffered a hamstring injury, further delaying his comeback.

The Brazilian forward remains optimistic about his chances of returning to the national team and participating in the World Cup next summer, which will be held across Canada, the United States, and Mexico.

"I will try. I want to be there. I will do everything I can to be part of the national team," Neymar told CNN. "I know this be my last World Cup, my last shot, my last chance and I will do everything I can to play in it."

Despite a decorated career that includes winning the Confederations Cup and Olympic gold, the World Cup remains a massive goal for Neymar. His history at the tournament has been bittersweet. In 2014, on home soil, his journey ended prematurely due to a back injury sustained in the quarterfinals. The Selecao went on to suffer a historic 7-1 defeat to Germany in the semifinals. Four years later, Brazil exited at the quarter-finals again, this time losing to Belgium. At the 2022 tournament in Qatar, Neymar equalled Pele’s record for official goals scored for Brazil but watched as his team fell to Croatia in the quarter-finals after a tense penalty shootout.

Brazil’s road to the 2026 World Cup has been anything but smooth. The team sits in fifth place in the South American qualifying table, with only five wins in 12 matches. With six teams automatically qualifying, Brazil’s position is precarious, and the pressure to perform is mounting.

Neymar, however, remains confident in his team’s ability to turn things and stated: "I have a lot of faith in the team, in the players who are emerging, who are young. It’s a young team. Today, we’re not in a position where would like to be. I think together we can achieve something very big. We have a year, a year-and-a-half to work, to do the right things to reach the World Cup."

Neymar is eager to return to action for Al-Hilal after finding the net in an unofficial friendly against Al-Fayha. The Saudi Pro League leaders have an important fixture against Al-Ittihad in the King’s Cup on January 7, followed by a league match against Al-Orobah four days later. Neymar hopes these games will mark the beginning of a successful comeback, allowing him to regain his fitness and prove his readiness for both club and country.