Paris Saint-Germain and Brazil, forward Neymar has said that the 2022 World Cup will be his last as he “doesn’t have the strength to put up with more football”.
Speaking on Sunday, October 10, the enigmatic striker said he might not be emotionally capable of playing in 2026 so he will give his all in the next world cup so Brazil can win it.
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.
“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.”
“I will do everything to get to the 2022 World Cup in great shape and will do everything to win for my country, to fulfill my biggest dream since I was little,” added the Paris Saint-Germain star.
Neymar played in the 2014 World Cup on home soil and scored four goals.
But a back injury he sustained ensured Brazil were humiliated 7-1 by Germany in the semi-finals.
Four years later, in Russia, Brazil were knocked out by Belgium in the quarter-finals.
He has only won the 2013 Confederations Cup and an Olympic gold medal in Rio in 2016 with Brazil.