Ronaldo Nazario sends 'sacrifice' warning to Neymar and offers Brazilian superstar World Cup advice after return to Santos from Al-Hilal

Neymar's struggles with injury and fitness plagued his short spell in Saudi Arabia with Al-Hilal and have put his future with the Brazilian national team in doubt. The nation's top scorer has not pulled on the famous yellow jersey since October 2023 and yet another injury pushed his planned return this month back yet further. His place in the Brazilian squad at next year's World Cup is not assured, but Ronaldo believes he will be there - even if he must sacrifice himself for it.

Speaking on the Charla Podcast, via A Bola, Ronaldo said: "I believe [Neymar will be at the next World Cup]. Neymar has a wonderful talent, but he will have to sacrifice himself. It depends only on him.

"It's a sacrifice that's worth it. The World Cup is one year away. If he gets there at a good level, we have a good chance. But he's going to have to sacrifice. He's going to have to eat, train and sleep."

There is no one who understands the battle between balancing fitness and the weight of a footballing nations better than Ronaldo. One of the best forwards in history suffered massively in his career with his fitness and often saw his best years blighted by various major injuries. Similarly, Neymar has long-suffered a history of knocks and niggles that have prevented him from playing every game. He is hoping that, with his fairytale return to Santos offering a chance to rebuild his faltering career, that he will be at his best level in time for the World Cup in 2026.

Neymar is in a race for form and fitness to be ready for the World Cup. Until the summer, he will continue to play football in his native Brazil for his boyhood club Santos. But, amid rumours that he could also make a sensational return to Barcelona, Neymar may well be considering his options and a return to European football ahead of the tournament in North America next year.