Neymar’s Recovery and Commitment to Santos Ahead of World Cup

omidbasir- In December, Neymar underwent surgery after enduring pain to assist Santos in avoiding relegation. Following his recovery, the Brazilian star signed a contract extension with his childhood club, which will keep him at Santos until December 31, 2026, thereby quelling rumors regarding a potential transfer.

Currently, Neymar is intensifying his recovery efforts and has returned to the training ground. Club president Marcelo Teixeira has expressed optimism, stating that Neymar should be back in action “soon.”

Neymar was seen in good spirits as he resumed training, sharing joyful moments with his partner and their daughters, with the club releasing touching footage of this family reunion at Santos.

Eager to return to the pitch for Santos, Neymar aims to demonstrate his form and fitness ahead of the 2026 World Cup. However, there are no guarantees that he will be included in Carlo Ancelotti’s squad for the tournament in North America, as he has not played for the Brazilian national team since 2023. Ancelotti emphasized the importance of Neymar proving his fitness, stating to ESPN: “We are not going to observe how Neymar plays, obviously. Everyone knows his talent. In modern football, to take advantage of his talent, the player has to be in good physical condition. If he is in his best physical condition, he will have no problems being in the national team. Everyone wants Neymar in the national team in good physical condition. I spoke with him, and I said ‘you have time to prepare in the best way to be there and help the team try to do their best in the World Cup.'”

As Santos focuses on the Campeonato Paulista, Teixeira provided some insights regarding Neymar’s potential return. He informed reporters: “I’m not sure if he’ll return against Sao Paulo; there’s no set date. I’ve been following his work, and it’s being done well. There’s no date, but I believe it’s coming soon. The recovery process is scheduled to begin in February. We are working intensely to get Neymar back, not as quickly as possible, but at the right time, so we can count on him for the entire season.”