Neymar's career may be set to last longer than previously expected.
With the 2026 World Cup approaching, it was believed that Neymar, who turns 34 in February, would be playing out his final few months before considering retirement at the conclusion of the summer tournament.
Having returned to his boyhood club Santos in preparation for the World Cup, the forward has been working through a number of injuries to prove available and worthy of selection by Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti.
Now, Neymar has signaled that he may be open to continuing his career past the World Cup, as he has committed his future to Santos for longer than expected.
MORE: Will Neymar play at the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
Neymar contract, salary at Santos
Santos announced on Tuesday, January 6 that Neymar had signed a contract extension through the end of the calendar year, expiring on December 31.
The news was surprising, as it was initially believed that Neymar would only be committing to the club through the summer, ready to reassess his career after the end of the World Cup.
Updated salary details of the new deal were not announced or reported, and thus it can be assumed that they are similar or identical to the terms of his previous deal, which saw him reportedly earn $6 million per year plus 80% of the commercial revenue the club earns during his time there.
"2025 was a special and challenging year for me — a time of joy and of overcoming obstacles that I was only able to face thanks to your love," Neymar was quoted as saying in the official contract announcement. "2026 has arrived, and destiny could not be different. Santos is my place. Here I am at home, safe and happy. And it is with you that I want to achieve the rest of my dreams."
Neymar will hope to earn a place in Ancelotti's plans for the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico this year. The five-time world champions are in Group C, alongside Morocco, Scotland, and Haiti.
Brazil's first game is against Morocco at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ, on June 13.
MORE: F ull Group C schedule for World Cup 2026
Neymar stats, goals for Santos
At the time of his contract extension, Neymar was in the middle of recovery from knee surgery. He suffered the injury in early December but played through the pain to finish the Brazilian league season with Santos in the midst of a relegation battle.
Once the season concluded and Santos were safely in the top flight for the upcoming campaign, Neymar underwent the operation to repair his meniscus and is expected back in a month or two.
Since rejoining his boyhood club, Neymar has scored 11 goals in 28 matches, while assisting four. Santos finished the 2025 Brazilian Serie A season in 12th, just four points above the relegation zone in a crowded bottom half of the table.
Overall, Neymar has made 253 appearances for Santos, scoring 147 goals and assisting 70 across over 20,000 minutes of action. Most of these came between 2009 and 2013, before he signed for Barcelona.