Neymar declares final bid for World Cup glory in 2026
The Brazilian footballer Neymar has announced that the 2026 World Cup will be his last. "I know it's my last World Cup. So it's my last shot, my last chance and I'm going to do everything I can to get it," he said in an interview with CNN.
Before participating in the World Cup, Neymar must fully recover. In October 2023, he suffered a serious knee injury during a qualifying match against Uruguay, which ended in Brazil's 2-0 defeat.
Since then, he has not appeared for the national team. At his club, Al-Hilal, he has only played in two official matches since sustaining the injury.
Brazil's situation in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers
After 12 of the 18 qualifying rounds in South America, Brazil is in fifth place with 18 points. At the top of the table is Argentina with 25 points. The top six teams will qualify for the World Cup, while the seventh will play in an intercontinental playoff.
Neymar is 32 years old. In the past, he played for Brazilian club Santos, as well as Barcelona and PSG. He has been with Al-Hilal since 2023. The club from Riyadh bought him for 90 million euros, setting a transfer record in the Saudi Pro League—the top tier of football in Saudi Arabia.
Neymar is also the record holder for the number of goals scored by Brazilian players in the Champions League. He is the top scorer in the history of the national team, with 79 goals in 128 matches. This surpasses the legendary Pelé, who scored 77 goals in 92 matches.
