Brazil forward Neymar has admitted he could retire at the end of the year as he continues to battle fitness issues during the closing stages of his career.

The 34-year-old, still the world’s most expensive footballer following his £200 million move from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017, has struggled with repeated injuries in recent seasons. Despite that, he is targeting one more major international appearance and hopes to be involved at this summer’s World Cup.

Neymar returned to his boyhood club Santos in January 2025 after leaving Saudi side Al-Hilal and later extended his contract through to the end of 2026.

However, his comeback has been disrupted. After an injury-hit first year back in Brazil, knee surgery in December ruled him out of the start of the new domestic season and he only made his return to the pitch last week.

Speaking to Brazilian online channel Caze, Neymar admitted he is unsure how much longer he will continue playing.

“I don’t know what will happen from now on, I don’t know about next year,” he said.

“It may be that when December comes, I’ll want to retire. I’m living year to year now.”

Neymar remains Brazil’s all-time leading goalscorer with 79 goals, surpassing Pele’s long-standing record. However, he has not represented the national team since October 2023 and faces a difficult task to earn a recall under head coach Carlo Ancelotti ahead of the World Cup.

He acknowledged the scale of that challenge but made clear how important the year ahead is to him.

“This year is a very important year, not only for Santos, but also for the Brazilian national team, as it’s a World Cup year, and for me too,” he added.