Neymar confirmed that he almost moved to a club participating in the 2025 Club World Cup days before the tournament, but backed out at the last minute.
The 33-year-old is currently playing for Santos, and his hope was to regain his form and then return to playing in Europe again starting next season.
Neymar was linked with several clubs participating in the Club World Cup, and he claimed to have already reached an agreement with Brazilian club Fluminense, before backing down and deciding to stay with Santos.
Neymar told the media, “I was very close to joining Fluminense to participate in the Club World Cup. There was a real chance I could do it.”
He added, “In the end, I decided not to take this step and to stay with Santos until I fully recover and regain my form.”
He concluded, “I’m not 100% ready yet. I want to be at my best as soon as possible, so I think continuing with Santos is my best option now.”
Turkish media reported Fenerbahçe’s interest in signing Neymar, but the most likely option so far is for him to stay with Santos for another year, until the 2026 World Cup.
