The star spoke about his return to Santos, his recovery from thigh injuries and his dream of winning the 2026 World Cup
In a press conference with questions only from friends and family, Neymar opened up about his return to Santos, his recovery from thigh injuries and his dream of winning the 2026 World Cup.
The star couldn’t hold back the tears when talking about the support he received when he returned to Brazil and surprised everyone by revealing a personal fear: developing a disease that causes memory loss. With a choked voice, Neymar expressed his joy at returning home after years abroad. “Renewing my contract with Santos, being home for me has always been a source of great happiness.
Coming back after years away from Brazil, coming back to Santos, to my city. Being close to my friends, the people I love. You are my strength. You encourage me and help me face everything I face,” he declared, visibly moved.
The number 10 emphasized the importance of the affection he received: “I am very moved, very happy because you, more than anyone, know what I go through and have gone through. You know the love I have for playing football. And when I do this on the field, with you around, I feel stronger, more confident.”
Future and dream of the World Cup
Despite the joy of the present, Neymar preferred not to speculate about the future, focusing on his recovery. “I don’t like to talk about the future. I like to live in the present, the now, which I think is the most important thing. The present now is for me to be back at 100%, to be well, on the field because I know that is where I can make a difference.”
He emphasized that the dream of winning the next World Cup is still alive. “I still feel good physically, and mentally, especially, so I can go after more things. Obviously, everyone here knows about my dream of winning the World Cup. I have some time, not much, but the World Cup is just around the corner.”
Since returning to Santos in January, Neymar has played in 12 games, scored three goals and provided three assists. He suffered two injuries this season to the back of his left thigh, with an interval of just a month and a half between them.
Neymar’s fear
In a private moment, the player revealed what scares him the most. “The only fear I have is having an illness that makes me forget everything. I think that’s the only fear I have, of losing your memory and not remembering who you are, the story you had, the legacy you left, the people who have been with you your whole life.
That’s the only fear I have,” he confessed. Criticism and life off the field
When asked about the criticism of his behavior off the field, Neymar lamented the judgments. “It’s hard to respond to something like that to these people who don’t understand anything about what happens in our lives. Everyone makes mistakes, everyone is a human being full of dreams, desires, stories.
You don’t know what the person is going through at that moment.” He admitted that the comments affect him, but he remains firm. “It’s hard to take it sometimes when people say something bad about me… You get upset, you get sad. It’s obvious that I spent my career sometimes feeling a little sad because of that. From people who didn’t know me and didn’t just talk about my football, but about the person I was. I know I’m a good person.”
