Neymar's 'disaster'! Brazil superstar flops as Santos crash out of Campeonato Paulista to leave World Cup dream hanging by a thread

Neymar won the last of his 128 caps in the autumn of 2023. He suffered knee ligament damage at that stage, leading to 12 months being spent on the sidelines. His contract at Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal was eventually torn up, freeing the enigmatic playmaker to return to his roots.

The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain superstar played through pain late in 2025 as he helped to steer Santos away from relegation danger. He underwent surgery in December and has spent the last couple of months working his way back towards full fitness.

In just his second competitive outing of 2026, Neymar was unable to prevent Santos from tumbling out of the Campeonato Paulista. A dramatic defeat to Novorizontino in the quarter-finals brought that campaign to an abrupt halt.

Coverage in the Spanish press, from AS, billed that setback as “Neymar’s disaster”. They went on to report that: “The Brazilian didn't shine and couldn't help Santos qualify. Another setback for the player, who misses the opportunity to lift a title that could have brought him closer to the World Cup with Brazil.”

Neymar played the full 90 minutes against Novorizontino, but struggled to make a positive contribution. He was marked out of the game for long periods and was partly responsible for the concession of an opening goal on the stroke of half-time, with ESPN pointing out that the 34-year-old made an “absurd mistake” that ultimately resulted in Romulo tapping into an empty net.

Santos boss Juan Pablo Vojvoda was quick to defend his iconic No.10 afterwards, telling reporters: “Neymar is in very good physical condition. He completes all the training sessions, and today he played his first 90 minutes of the year. I honestly have a lot of confidence in him. 

“His game will improve with each match. I have a lot of confidence in him, as in every player I have in the squad. But he will motivate other players and will push himself to achieve the goals he has set, both at Santos and with the national team.”

Neymar is still being backed to make Brazil’s World Cup squad, with his remarkable skill set capable of unlocking any defence. Fellow countryman Kleberson told GOAL recently: “I really, really want to see Neymar at the World Cup. In terms of fitness, he is really behind everyone now - because of the injuries, because the last year he hasn’t had a lot of minutes on the field.

“The talent that kid has, as soon as he starts to get a good feel now, gets the good fitness, he can probably help a lot. He will not get into the World Cup at 100 per cent fitness but when the World Cup gets going, especially the way it is now, he can produce well because he is the most talented player that we have in Brazil. Others are at a good level, but nobody can do the stuff this kid can do.

“He needs to get to a good level with fitness, play minutes and stay on the field. When I look at all the Brazilian players, nobody is like him. Okay we can talk about Vini Junior or Raphinha or Estevao, but the things that Neymar can do with a ball, it makes it scary to mark him. Neymar is the closest I have seen to Ronaldinho.”

Neymar has hinted that he may retire at the end of the calendar year, when another contract comes to a close, as injury problems have started to catch up with him. He has, however, seen a move to join former Barcelona team-mate Lionel Messi in MLS at Inter Miami mooted and could extend his career by at least another 12 months. Santos will be back in action on Thursday when playing host to Vasco da Gama.