Neymar to keep playing until performances fall below standards

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Neymar insists he will keep playing football until he “can no longer perform as he wants to”.

The 33-year-old recently signed a contract extension with Santos through to the end of the year, with an option to further extend the deal until the 2026 World Cup.

Since leaving Paris Saint-Germain in 2023, Neymar has made just 14 league appearances during underwhelming stints with Al-Hilal and Santos due to injury struggles.

The winger has not featured for the Brazilian national team since October 2023, when he suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury versus Uruguay.

Despite his recent struggles, Neymar’s love for football has not been affected to the point where he is considering retirement.

“What drives me is the love I still feel for football.” Neymar said in an interview with his wife Bruna Biancardi, as quoted by ESPN.

“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.

Onde tudo começou. Onde nunca vai acabar!

A coletiva completa você assiste em https://t.co/SC0v0b1HQY

Tá na @loovibrasil, tá seguro! pic.twitter.com/q97htcEtZn

— Santos FC (@SantosFC) June 30, 2025

“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.”

“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.”