Santos FC: Neymar eyes professional retirement

Neymar wants to hang up his boots

World 08 July 2026 at 15:39

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Santos FC: Neymar eyes professional retirement

A few days after deciding to call time on his Brazil career, Neymar is now looking to hang up his boots for good.

"I tried, I tried. Now, it's over. I started here, I finished here," said the former Santos player after Brazil's elimination in the round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup, knocked out by Norway.

🚨 𝗡𝗘𝗬𝗠𝗔𝗥 𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗟𝗗 𝗕𝗘 𝗦𝗘𝗧 𝗧𝗢 𝗘𝗡𝗗 𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗖𝗔𝗥𝗘𝗘𝗥! 🇧🇷❌

Ney is feeling worn out by everything related to the world of football.

The Brazilian striker is also stung by his relationship with the media: he doesn't understand the lack of… pic.twitter.com/Jhmpsx73kh
— Instant Foot ⚽️ (@lnstantFoot) July 8, 2026

Neymar bows out after 130 caps and 80 goals in the Seleção shirt, surpassing Pelé's record. He could even stop playing football altogether. According to UOL, the Santos star is now questioning the future of his career. He is reportedly considering retiring from professional football either immediately or at the end of his contract with Santos in December.

Joshua SOSSOU

Editorfr, en, ar

As a sports fan, and particularly a football fan, I've been putting my writing talent to good use for a number of years now to promote African talent and the continent's football in general. On Foot Africa, enjoy reading each of my lines.