Brazil all-time high scorer Neymar has mentioned he desires to play on the 2026 World Cup regardless of an damage absence of greater than 13 months from worldwide motion.
The 32-year-old broke Pele’s report by scoring the 78th of his 79 worldwide objectives throughout Brazil’s World Cup qualifier towards Bolivia in September 2023 however ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament towards Uruguay the next month.
“The World Cup is the aim for all gamers,” Neymar informed RMC. “I’ve already performed 3 times [at the finals], and I need to do a fourth.
“I’ve to be targeted on that, put together nicely right here [at club side Al-Hilal] and have this medium-term goal after getting again in form at my membership.”
Rodygo helping Neymar to interrupt Pelé’s all-time goalscoring report for Brazil 🥺🇧🇷
Santos historical past 🤍 pic.twitter.com/dRWHMhONvE
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) September 9, 2023
Neymar damage comeback
Within the brief time period, Neymar’s comeback plans have been scuppered by an damage he suffered in a quick second look following his comeback for the Saudi Professional League crew.
Neymar was launched as a second-half substitute in Al-Hilal’s 3-0 win over Iranian opponents Esteghlal within the AFC Champions League Elite final month by lasted lower than half-hour earlier than pulling up.
Though Neymar described the damage as “hopefully nothing an excessive amount of”, he’s but so as to add to his seven video games for the membership who paid a reported payment of greater than £71 million to signal him from Paris Saint-Germain in August 2023.
“Sadly, it isn’t a easy damage,” Al-Hilal coach Jorge Jesus mentioned on the time. “He appears to be affected by muscle ache and it isn’t a knee subject.”
🔹 Neymar undergoes scans pic.twitter.com/Gt7T4GxvKh
— AlHilal Saudi Membership (@Alhilal_EN) November 6, 2024
Neymar Al Hilal contract
There was hypothesis in Saudi Arabia that Al-Hilal is not going to re-register Neymar for the second half of their top-flight season.
He was not named of their squad for the primary half of the marketing campaign due to his damage however is allowed to play in worldwide competitions.
Brazil squad: Neymar to return?
Brazil are usually not in need of attacking choices, with the likes of Actual Madrid trio Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo and Endrick and Barcelona’s Raphinha to name upon.
After lacking two video games on the 2022 World Cup with an ankle damage, Neymar produced two objectives and one assists however was a part of a crew knocked out by Croatia within the quarter-finals.
The consequence ensured he has by no means performed past the final eight of the match, having been ever-present and contributed two objectives and two assists earlier than Brazil have been knocked out at that stage by Belgium in 2018.
At his first World Cup in 2014, Neymar completed on 4 objectives and one help in 5 video games however missed Brazil’s 7-1 semi-final defeat to Germany and 3-0 third-placed match loss to the Netherlands by way of damage.
