‘The Last dance’: Neymar signals World Cup farewell

Brazil forward Neymar has hinted that the 2026 FIFA World Cup could be the final tournament of his international career. The Santos star called it “The Last Dance,” evoking NBA legend Michael Jordan’s iconic farewell season.

New Delhi: Brazil forward Neymar has indicated the FIFA World Cup 202, starting Thursday, will be the last of his career.

Brazil will be competing at the FIFA World Cup for a record-extending 23rd time next year. Indeed, the Selecao are the only side to have featured in every edition of the global showpiece, which is set to be staged for the first time across three host nations: Canada, Mexico and the USA.

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The 34-year-old made the statement in response to a social media post from FIFA showing images of Neymar’s career along with the words, “We’ve watched him grow up,” reports Xinhua.

“The last dance,” the Santos attacker replied in the comments section, using a phrase associated with NBA legend Michael Jordan’s final season with the Chicago Bulls in 1997-98.

Neymar, Brazil’s all-time leading scorer with 79 goals in 128 international matches, has not played for Brazil since suffering a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in October 2023.

He has since suffered a series of injuries, the latest of which is a calf strain that could keep him out of Brazil’s opening match against Morocco on June 13.

Neymar made his international debut at the FIFA World Cup 2010 in South Africa. He took just 28 minutes to open his account – uncharacteristically with a forcible header – in a 2-0 win against USA in East Rutherford.

He was the golden boy of the 2014 World Cup on home soil, but was stretchered off with a back injury in the quarter-final win over Colombia. He gained redemption when he led Brazil to Olympic gold at Rio 2016, scoring the winning penalty in front of his own fans at the Maracana.

But at the 2018 World Cup, the former Barcelona forward was only just fit after more injury troubles and failed to make a great impact. Brazil lost in the quarter-finals.

Neymar left the spotlight of European football in 2023, departing Paris Saint-Germain for Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal. After just two months, he suffered a knee injury and did not return to play for them.

The last memory of Neymar in a Brazil shirt came later that year, when he was carried off on a stretcher in tears with an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury during a 2-0 World Cup qualifying defeat by Uruguay.