After saving boyhood club Santos from relegation, reports indicate Neymar Jr is very close to signing a new contract with the team to get consistent playing time before the 2026 World Cup.
The expectation is that Neymar will sign a new six-month contract with the club that runs until the start of the 2026 World Cup, per ESPN. Santos and Neymar’s father and agent have reportedly already reached an agreement on the terms, all that’s left is for Neymar to put pen to paper and extend his current deal that ran through the end of 2025.
Neymar struggled, especially with injuries, since returning to Santos at the start of 2025. The historic club wasn’t doing much better and entered the final six games of Brazil’s Serie A season placed in the relegation zone of .
To make matters worse, another knee injury threatened to end Neymar’s season prematurely. But against the odds, he found a way to be on the pitch for the team’s run-in. Not only that, he turned back the clock and put on the Superman cape.
Neymar scored five of his eight goals this season in Santos’s last five games, bagging his first assist of the term as well. The club ended the season on a five game unbeaten run, winning their last three to not only avoid relegation, but alo secure a place in the 2026 Copa Sudameriacana—South America’s version of the UEFA Europa League.
Write Neymar off at your own peril.
— Sports Illustrated FC (@SI_FootballClub) December 4, 2025
A month ago, Santos were in the relegation zone and Neymar was booed off the pitch by his own fans.
They now sit 14th with Neymar scoring five goals and getting an assist since that game. pic.twitter.com/hXWTMMBG0i
It was vintage Neymar on full display and his heroics turned calls from fans for him to leave the club into unmitigated praise for one of Santos’s all-time legends.
Even though the plan is for Neymar to sign a new contract, he’s once again due to spend some time on the sidelines to be fully fit in his final charge to earn a spot in Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil national team 2026 World Cup roster.
Neymar To Undergo Knee Surgery Before 2026
Neymar played the final handful of games of Santos’ fight to avoid relegation with a meniscus injury to his left knee. After the successful end of the term, it was revealed the player would have to undergo arthroscopic surgery to fix the nagging issue.
Following Santos’s 3–0 win over Cruzeiro in the final game of the season on Dec. 7, Neymar gave a telling interview to Globo Esporte, where revealed the plans for his upcoming surgery.
“I came for this, to try to help the best way I can.” he said. “I’m going to disconnect from football for around 10 days, I need it. Then, I’m going to have surgery and from there, I’m going to focus on on my final mission.”
Neymar will be sidelined for around a month following his surgery, before returning to the pitch with a clear goal in mind. When asked what his final mission is, Neymar responded with a smile.
“The World Cup.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Neymar Close to Picking Club He Hopes Will Secure His 2026 World Cup Place—Report.