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Brazil’s all-time top scorer Neymar has said he wants to play at the 2026 World Cup despite more than 13 months away from international duty through injury.
The 32-year-old broke Pele’s record by scoring 78. of his 79 international goals during Brazil’s World Cup qualifier against Bolivia in September 2023, but ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament against Uruguay the following month.
“The World Cup is the goal of all players,” Neymar said RMC. “I have already played three times (in the final), and I want a fourth one as well.
“I have to focus on that, prepare well here (at Al-Hilal club) and have this medium-term goal once I’m back in shape at my club.”
Rodygo helps Neymar break Pelé’s all-time scoring record for Brazil 🥺🇧🇷
History of Santos 🤍 pic.twitter.com/dRWHMhONvE
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) September 9, 2023
Return of Neymar due to injury
In the short term, Neymar’s comeback plans were scuppered by an injury he picked up in his brief second appearance back for the Saudi Pro League side.
Neymar was introduced as a second-half substitute in Al-Hilal’s 3-0 win against Iranian rivals Esteghlal in the AFC Champions League Elite last month and lasted less than 30 minutes before being withdrawn.
Although Neymar described the injury as “hopefully nothing too much”, he is yet to add to his seven games for the club who paid a reported fee of more than £71m to sign him from Paris Saint-Germain in August 2023.
“Unfortunately, it’s not a simple injury,” Al-Hilal coach Jorge Jesus said at the time. “He seems to be suffering from muscle pain, it’s not the knee.”
🔹 Neymar underwent a scan pic.twitter.com/Gt7T4GxvKh
— AlHilal Saudi Club (@Alhilal_EN) November 6, 2024
Contract with Neymar Al Hilal
There has been speculation in Saudi Arabia that Al-Hilal will not re-register Neymar for the second half of their Premier League season.
He was not named in their squad for the first half of the campaign due to his injury, but was allowed to play in international competitions.
Brazilian national team: Neymar is coming back?
Brazil has no shortage of attacking options, and they can be called upon by Real Madrid’s trio of Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo and Endrick, and Barcelona’s Raphinha.
After missing two games at the 2022 World Cup with an ankle injury, Neymar scored two goals and provided one assist but was part of the team that was knocked out by Croatia in the quarter-finals.
The result ensured he never played beyond the round of 16 of the tournament, as he was ever-present and provided two goals and two assists before Brazil crashed out at that stage to Belgium 2018.
In his first World Cup in 2014, Neymar finished with four goals and one assist in five games, but missed Brazil’s 7–1 semi-final loss to Germany and the third round 3–0 loss to the Netherlands due to injury.
