Brazilian Santos extends Neymar’s contract for a year

In the early hours of the first day of 2026, the Brazilian club Santos announced the renewal of the contract of its star, Neymar Jr., until December 2026.
Santos thus ended the speculation about Neymar’s future, which had long linked him to returning to Europe or joining his former Barcelona teammate, the Argentine star Lionel Messi, at Inter Miami.
The announcement of Neymar’s contract extension came as a gift to Santos fans on the first day of 2026, after the former Paris Saint-Germain striker succeeded in leading the team to remain in the Brazilian league and qualify for the Copa Sudamericana in the closing weeks of last season, by scoring six goals in the last four matches despite suffering from a knee injury.
Despite the spread of rumors about his possible move to Flamengo, Neymar preferred to settle in his original club, seeking to regain full physical fitness after the surgery he underwent on the meniscus, with the aim of convincing coach Carlo Ancelotti to include him in Brazil’s roster for the 2026 World Cup.
Neymar said after extending his contract: “I would like to rest for at least a week and travel to forget football, then I will think about the next steps.”