Neymar has agreed to extend his contract with Santos until the end of 2026, the Brazilian club confirmed on Tuesday, as the forward continues to pursue a return to the World Cup despite a recent battle with injuries.

The 33-year-old rejoined his boyhood club in January 2025 and played a pivotal role in helping Santos preserve their status in Brazil’s top flight. Neymar finished the campaign strongly, scoring five goals in his final five appearances.

“Santos is my place, I’m at home,” Neymar said in a video shared on the club’s social media channels. “It’s with you that I want to achieve the dreams that are still missing,” he added, addressing the club’s supporters.

Neymar has endured a difficult few years plagued by fitness issues and underwent successful arthroscopic knee surgery last month. Despite those setbacks, he remains determined to return to international football.

The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain star is Brazil’s all-time leading goalscorer with 79 goals but has not represented the five-time world champions since 2023.

Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti said in October that Neymar would need to be fully fit to earn a recall to the national team.

Brazil are set to face Scotland, Morocco and Haiti in Group C at the World Cup, which will be staged in Canada, Mexico and the United States from June 11 to July 19.