Former Santos player talks about Neymar's future: 'Ending his career…'

Neymar 's continued presence in Brazilian football has not yet been confirmed, but the striker's desire to conclude his career successfully is clear. Currently under contract until the end of June, Santos ' number 10 has not yet reached an agreement on a renewal.

Despite this, according to Zé Roberto, his return to the São Paulo club was motivated by an emotional factor: "He chose to return to play happily again. After the injury, he spent practically a year rehabilitating himself", said the former player.

Neymar's planning, as highlighted by Zé Roberto, is focused on the 2026 World Cup. The former athlete stated that the striker's main objective is to regain ideal physical shape and, thus, become decisive for the National Team again.

"He is the main player of the national team, not only because of his name, but also because of his football. He is a different player from everyone else and he wants to get into the best physical shape possible," he declared.

Love for football still drives the athlete

In an interview with Diário do Peixe, Zé Roberto emphasized that Neymar continues to play because of his passion for the sport. "If he wanted to stop playing today, or a few years ago, he would have stopped. He only continues to play today because he loves doing what he set out to do, which is playing football," he assured.

At 33 years of age, the forward has shown commitment to his physical condition, despite facing two recent injuries that have kept him out of a significant part of the current season. In his second stint at Vila Belmiro, he has played in 13 matches, scored three goals and contributed three assists, playing alternately between starting and being a reserve.

European selection and speculation

Neymar was called up by Dorival Júnior in March, but ended up being cut due to a muscle injury. Even so, he remains in coach Carlo Ancelotti's plans for the next call-ups.

"What he wants most is to get out in shape, to not get injured again, to help the team next year. What he wants most is to end his career successfully," reiterated Zé Roberto.

Although Santos is considered the priority for continuity, other possibilities remain on the radar. European clubs have shown interest in signing him, including Fenerbahçe, as reported by the Turkish newspaper Fanatik.

The player's father also confirmed the existence of proposals from abroad, which keeps the scenario undefined for the coming months.

Expectation by definition

Although the renewal with Santos is seen as a natural path, it has not been made official yet. The club and the athlete are still negotiating the terms of the new contract. Neymar's continuity at Vila Belmiro will essentially depend on the convergence between the player's desire to end his career with dignity and the plans of the São Paulo team.

The narrative surrounding the striker's future is marked by uncertainty, but also by a clear message: his passion for football continues to be the driving force behind his career. As Zé Roberto stated, "if Neymar wanted to stop playing, he would have stopped already. He only continues because he loves what he's doing."