Neymar Jr. is determined to earn his place in the Brazilian squad for World Cup 2026, and doesn't want to leave Santos on a sour note. Although he recently suffered another knee injury, he was cleared to play with protection, and on Wednesday he scored his first hat-trick in three years, three goals in 17 minutes (one penalty) against Juventude, 0-3. The last time he scored three goals in a match was in April 2022, for PSG.
This match, in the penultimate matchday of the Brasileirão (won by Flamengo), leaves Santos two points above relegation zone. A draw on Sunday against Cruzeiro will be enough to save them from relegation (via EFE).
However, when asked if it will be his final match with Santos (where he played between 2009 and 2013, before Barcelona, and re-joined this year), he said that he didn't know. There have been rumours about a transfer to Inter Miami, where he would regroup with former Barça teammate Leo Messi, but the MLS club appears to have rejected him.
His future is up in the air, but Neymar's priority is to keep playing to convince Carlo Ancelotti to call him up for World Cup 2026: he hasn't played for Brazil since October 2023.