Brazil star Neymar said that the 2022 World Cup will be his last as he “doesn’t have the strength to put up with more football”.
Brazil star Neymar said Sunday that the 2022 World Cup will be his last as he “doesn’t have the strength to put up with more football”. “I think it will be my last World Cup,” the 29-year-old told DAZN. “I will play it like it is the last because I don’t know if I will still have the mental strength to put up with even more football,” he added. Neymar, who has played in two World Cups and is his country’s second top scorer of all time behind Pele, will be 34 when the 2026 tournament rolls around.
The Brazil star spearheaded his nation to win their sixth crown at the 2014 and 2018 editions, only to see those quests for the throne fall short at the semi-final and quarter-final stages respectively.
Now with little more than a year to go before the next tournament kicks off, he is not optimistic about extending his international career through to the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Neymar Jr. made his World Cup debut in Brazil itself during the year 2014. The ex-Barcelona star was influential to Brazil and was the flag bearer of the nation. Things were going according to the plan until the star man Neymar fractured his vertebrae against Colombia which was followed by a humiliating 7-1 defeat in the semi-final against the winners of that edition Germany.
Four years later in the Russia World Cup 2018, Neymar and Co. went to Europe with lesser hope than before as Neymar was injured for three months before world’s greatest show during his reigm in PSG colours. Although the marquee man scored twice in the tournament, his team could not get past the final eight stage against a rock solid Belgium side.
Neymar missed out on winning the 2019 Copa America with his national team as he was out of the squad with an injury. Later on, in the current ongoing year, Neymar and Co. lost the Copa America 2021 final against Argentina meaning Neymar has no single World Cup or Copa America to show beside his name.
