In the 38th round of the Brazilian Serie A, Santos defeated Cruzeiro 3-0 at home, securing survival with an unbeaten run of six games and finishing 12th in the league. After the match, Neymar accepted an interview and stated his desire to temporarily forget about football and take a break.
Neymar told the media: “I rate myself 7 out of 10 this season – I think that’s a good score. Everyone knows I can protect myself on the pitch, but for various reasons, things don’t always go the way we want. Now it’s time to relax. This year is over, and I need to clear my mind, forget about football for around 10 days, forget everything, because I have to. Then I’ll undergo the knee surgery I must have, and from then on, focus fully, because I still have one final mission.”
“I need this vacation because after that, I have surgery and must be 100% focused. I’ll take a few days to calm down and relax mentally, as this year has been extremely tough. Then I’ll concentrate entirely on my final goal – the World Cup. God willing, everything will go smoothly. I’ll be ready, standing by, just waiting for the call-up.”
At the 2026 World Cup, Brazil is grouped with Morocco, Scotland, and Haiti. By the time the tournament kicks off next year, Neymar will be 34 years old. Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti said a few days ago: “I’m well aware of the interest in Neymar. I want to clarify that it’s December now, and the World Cup is in June – I’ll finalize the World Cup squad in May. If Neymar deserves to be selected, is in good form, and better than the other players, then he’ll be there, no questions asked. I owe nothing to anyone.”
