Neymar returns to the Brazilian national team, will he go to Barcelona for the 2026 World Cup?

Neymar is “living the best moment of his life”, as he recently admitted since returning to Santos, gradually playing and finding his feet on the pitch again. The 33-year-old has scored 2 goals and provided 3 assists in just 6 games with Santos in a short time, compared to just 7 games, 1 goal and 3 assists in just over a year with Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia.

Neymar admits he is living the best moments of his life since returning to Santos

Neymar's spectacular return also helps him return to the Brazilian national team after a very long absence.

"Coach Dorival Junior will call up Neymar, because player Lucas Paqueta is definitely out due to injury. Moreover, what Neymar has shown recently shows that he has completely recovered from his injuries and has regained some of his best form and fitness. Neymar's presence will create a new boost for the Brazilian team, after a period of playing too hard and without a real leader on the field," said radio channel Itatiaia.

Brazil are currently 5th in the South American qualifying round for the 2026 World Cup, with 18 points from 12 matches. The Selecao could still lose their place in the finals (1 of the top 6, 7th place in the Intercontinental play-off), after two poor draws in late 2024 against Venezuela and Uruguay, both 1-1.

"The Brazilian team without Neymar has become a team lacking a true leader. Substitutes like Vinicius, Raphinha or Rodrygo cannot take on the leading role. Therefore, Neymar's return is timely and will help coach Dorival Junior solve a long-standing problem," according to Itatiaia radio channel.

Neymar played his first match for Santos after 12 years in early February.

Meanwhile, according to journalist David Ornstein of The Athletic , Neymar is currently considering playing for Santos as just a period for him to recover and regain his peak form.

Neymar's contract with Santos only runs until June 30. Once he realizes he can still play at the highest level, Neymar will consider returning to Europe and may choose to return to his old club Barcelona, in order to continue to maintain his best ability to aim for the 2026 World Cup.

Santos Club President Marcelo Teixeira said that he really hopes Neymar will sign a long-term contract with the team, after the current playing time ends and can be extended until after the 2026 World Cup. The reason this president is so confident is because Santos is the most suitable place for Neymar, instead of returning to Barcelona which has many risks.

"Everything will also depend on Neymar's physical and technical condition, especially when he returns to the Brazilian national team to compete in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. At that time, there will be the most convincing assessments about whether this player can return to the top and find the opportunity to return to Europe to compete," AS (Spain) expressed.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/neymar-tro-lai-doi-tuyen-brazil-se-den-barcelona-vi-world-cup-2026-185250228093753899.htm