14th February, 2023
Neymar has hinted he may yet play at the 2026 World Cup, revealing that the “very big dream” still burns to lift the trophy.
The 31-year-old Brazilian said in the lead-up to last year’s World Cup that it could be his last, while he was left devastated by his country’s quarterfinal elimination to Croatia.
In the aftermath of Brazil’s World Cup exit, Neymar offered no guarantees about his international future, having been left “psychologically destroyed.”
Two months on, Neymar appears to have digested that disappointment and said the door was not closed on his Brazil career extending to the 2026 event.
“I’ll go year by year, and we’ll see,” Neymar told TNT Sports. “Of course, I have a very big dream, that of winning the World Cup.”
Neymar added that he was inspired by Paris Saint-Germain teammate Lionel Messi’s success with Argentina in Qatar.
“Leo has always been an inspiration,” he said. “He always helped and encouraged me. Obviously, seeing him win at 34 [sic, 35], I think about it too.”
Neymar will be 34 years old when the 2026 World Cup starts in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
The forward was a member of Brazil’s World Cup squads in 2014, 2018, and 2022, winning the Bronze Boot and being named to the All Star XI when the tournament was held in his home country.
dpa/NAN