Brazilian football star Neymar has been recalled to the national team after 16 months of injury, ahead of the upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Colombia and Argentina.
Neymar, who started Brazil’s first four qualifying games, last played for the team in October 2023, when he went off injured during a match against Uruguay. Since then, Brazil has struggled in the South American World Cup qualifying matches.
Currently, Brazil is in fifth place in the 10-nation group after 12 of the 18 rounds. The top six teams will automatically qualify for the World Cup, and Brazil is five points ahead of Bolivia, who are in seventh place.
Coach Dorival Junior announced Neymar’s return to the squad on Thursday. The team will face Colombia on March 21 and world champions Argentina five days later.
Neymar, Brazil’s all-time top scorer with 79 goals, recently stated that the 2026 World Cup will be his last. “Next year’s World Cup is going to be my last,” he said.
The 33-year-old recently returned to his boyhood club, Santos, and scored his first goal for the club in over 14 months. He helped Santos beat fourth-division side Agua Santa 3-1 in a Sao Paulo state championship match last Sunday.
Neymar’s goal came in the 14th minute from a penalty kick, marking his 137th goal in 229 appearances for Santos. This was his first goal since October 3, 2023, when he scored for Al Hilal against Nassaji Mazandaran in the Asian Champions League.
He ended his contract with the Saudi club Al Hilal in January after 18 months, where he reportedly earned 100 million euros ($103 million) per season. Neymar played only five games for Al Hilal before suffering a serious knee injury during Brazil’s match against Uruguay.
With his return, fans are hopeful Neymar’s presence will boost Brazil’s performance in the upcoming qualifiers.
