Brazilian star Neymar has made it clear he has no intention of hanging up his boots anytime soon, insisting he will continue playing until he’s no longer able to meet his own standards.
The 33-year-old forward recently renewed his deal with Santos, committing to stay with his boyhood club until the end of the year, with an option to extend through to the 2026 World Cup.
In an interview led by close friends and family, Neymar’s wife, Bruna Biancardi, asked him what motivates him to keep playing professionally. The former Barcelona and PSG star said:
“What drives me is the love I still feel for football.
“The desire I feel to play, to be on the field, that’s what drives me every day; to wake up, to train. The love I feel for football will never end. It will stay with me for the rest of my life. At some point, the desire to play, because I can no longer do it, because I can no longer perform as I want to, will end.
“As long as I still have the desire to play football, you’ll have to share me, my love.”
Neymar returned to Santos earlier this year after terminating his contract with Al Hilal, where he endured a difficult stint marred by injuries.
A serious ACL tear sustained while on international duty with Brazil in October 2023 significantly limited his time on the pitch.
🚨 Neymar le répète encore et encore : son PRIME était au PSG ! ❤️💙🔥
“𝗝’𝗮𝗶 𝗲𝘂 𝗽𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗲𝘂𝗿𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝘂 𝗣𝗦𝗚, 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲 𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟳 𝗲𝘁 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟬 : 𝗷’𝗲́𝘁𝗮𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗲̂𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 !”pic.twitter.com/C0xKR8sQOL
— Instant Foot ⚽️ (@lnstantFoot) June 29, 2025
Since his comeback, he has managed just three goals and three assists in 15 appearances for Santos in 2025, with repeated muscular setbacks stalling his efforts to reclaim a spot in the national team setup.
Throughout his career, Neymar has been under the microscope, not just for his performances, but for his off-field lifestyle. Addressing this during the same interview, he opened up about the toll that public judgment has taken on him.
“I can’t control other people’s thoughts,” he told his wife.
“It’s difficult to answer people who understand absolutely nothing about our lives…Judging is easy, but understanding what’s behind it is difficult.
“I’ve spent my entire career a little sad because of this, because of people who don’t know me talking about me and not just about football.
“I know I’m a good person, it’s difficult to confront. I would like them to give more importance to what really matters, on the pitch.
“Nowadays, with the internet and social media, it’s difficult for people to focus solely on the athlete himself.
“It’s bad, sad, to be judged in a certain way, sometimes even hated by people who don’t know me, who aren’t part of my daily life, who don’t know the effort I put in for myself and my family. It’s difficult to stop and see on the internet what isn’t reality.
“I have a strong mindset when it comes to the internet.I can look at it, but it doesn’t hurt me, it doesn’t hurt me mentally.”
“My football career will end, my name will remain in history, but it will end, years will pass, other players and generations will come and go. I always say that the people who know me are what matter.”
