Is Neymar Playing in the 2026 World Cup?

Neymar, Brazil's all-time top scorer, has caught one last chance to make history in the 2026 World Cup. The star footballer aims to become only the fourth player to wear the Brazil jersey in four consecutive tournaments. After becoming the world's most expensive transfer in the summer of 2017, Neymar, who blew through his career like a massive storm, is currently 34 years old and has returned to his childhood club Santos. The experienced player, who wore the jerseys of European giant clubs for many years, decided to continue his deep-rooted career in his homeland. This situation played a significant role in his recovery, both physically and mentally, and his return to the national team.

Neymar's return to the World Cup was considered a highly surprising development after a long three-year absence from the international stage. This long period of isolation emerged due to the player's constantly recurring and hard-to-heal injuries. Health problems severely restricted his playing time in the later stages of his career. However, the new head coach of the Brazil National Team, Carlo Ancelotti, decided to include him in the squad, showing his confidence in the star player. This decision was met with great curiosity and became a subject of debate among both football fans and experts.

The experienced player's epic story with the World Cup peaked in the 2014 tournament held in his homeland, Brazil. In that tournament, Neymar quickly made his mark, managing to draw all attention by scoring four goals in just five matches. However, a serious injury he suffered during the quarter-final stage forced him to be carried off the pitch on a stretcher, causing him to end that tournament early. Although he couldn't prevent the Brazil national team from being eliminated in the quarter-finals repeatedly over the next eight years, he individually broke Pelé's men's goal record to become the all-time top scorer. This record implicitly cemented his legendary status in Brazilian football history.

The 2026 World Cup stands out as a massive organization hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. However, Neymar struggled to play in the opening matches of this tournament due to his injury. A problem in his calf area caused the former Barcelona star to not get any playing time in Brazil's first two group matches. This situation caused fans to worry about his performance and health. Ultimately, in the last match of Group C against Scotland, he stepped onto the international stage for the first time since October 2023.

In this critical Scotland match, Neymar was brought into the game at Miami Stadium as a short 15-minute substitute. The Brazil national team started the match very quickly, scoring three goals in the early minutes, which allowed the technical staff to integrate him into the game continuously without tiring him out. Neymar, who described this tournament definitively as his 'Last Dance' through his statements on his social media accounts, clarified that he will not play in the 2030 World Cup. Thus, he eliminated with his own hands the possibility of becoming the first player in Brazilian history to participate in the World Cup five times. Now, his main and ultimate goal is to end Brazil's 24-year championship longing with this title and bring the cup to his country once more.