Neymar goes incognito! Brazil superstar dons balaclava as he jets off on wintery New York holiday with partner Bruna Biancardi amid uncertain future at Santos

Neymar shared a series of photographs from his festive break in New York with partner Bruna as he donned a purple and white face covering, presumably so he went undetected among the crowds. Following the end of the domestic season in Brazil, the Selecao icon is spending some quality time with family and friends as Christmas approaches. He captioned the Instagram carousel "NYC".

Neymar had a mixed experience back in his homeland as he continued to struggle with injuries during the past year at Santos. Yet, the Brazil star ended the 2025-26 campaign on a high as he scored four goals in the last three games of the season and helped Santos to escape the relegation zone and finish 12th in the Brazilian Serie A. 

With Neymar's current Santos contract expiring at the end of December, there has been speculation over his future at his boyhood team, though ESPN has recently claimed that the 33-year-old has always prioritised staying at Santos and is set to continue at the club at least until the 2026 World Cup next summer. Various clubs have been linked with a move for Neymar, including Lionel Messi's Inter Miami, but he and Santos are now in "advanced talks" to extend his contract and he will sign an initial six-month contract extension. 

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Neymar remains hopeful of competing at his fourth World Cup for Brazil in North America next year, however, his participation is not 100 percent guaranteed as it remains to be seen if manager Carlo Ancelotti will call the veteran forward into his squad for the tournament. The Italian coach has previously revealed that Neymar is in contention but a final decision is yet to be made. 

He has previously told reporters: "If we’re talking about Neymar, we have to talk about other players. We have to think about Brazil, which could have Neymar or be without Neymar, with other players or without other players. We’ll make the final list after the March FIFA window. I understand very well that you are very interested in Neymar. I want to make it clear that we are in December, the World Cup is in June, nd I will choose the team that goes to the World Cup in May. If Neymar deserves to be there, if he’s doing well, if he’s better than someone else, he will play in the World Cup, period. I don’t owe anything to anyone."

It seems Neymar has finally found a solution to regain his full fitness before the 2026 World Cup, as according to ESPN, the Santos star will soon undergo a partial arthroscopic meniscectomy on his left knee. The report further added that the 33-year-old will consult a famous Brazilian physiotherapist, Eduardo Santos, who is known as 'Dr. Miracle' for his ability to treat patients in record time, often using unconventional methods.  

Santos, who graduated from PUC (Pontifical Catholic University) in Belo Horizonte, holds a masters and doctorate in sports medicine, and for years, he headed the medical department of Chinese Super League side Shanghai SIPG. He has also worked at Vitesse in the Netherlands and Zenit in Russia.

Some of his high-profile patients include former Brazil national team stars Hulk, Oscar, Philippe Coutinho and, more recently, Manchester United's Matheus Cunha. Santos is currently in England, working closely on the recovery of Fulham star Rodrigo Muniz. In 2015, after former Brazil defender David Luiz was ruled out for eight to 10 weeks, Santos miraculously enabled him to play his next match within 10 days.