Santos Reveal Plan That Could Send Neymar to the World Cup

The Brazilian’s fitness remains a top concern for Seleção boss Carlo Ancelotti.

Neymar is still fighting for a place at the 2026 World Cup. | Marco Buenavista/Sports Press Photo/Getty Images

Santos manager Cuca revealed Neymar will play 13 consecutive games in the build-up to this summer’s World Cup, giving the 34-year-old his best chance to make Carlo Ancelotti’s final roster.

Neymar has looked back to his best since returning from injury in 2026, recording six goal contributions in as many appearances for his boyhood club. Yet alarm bells sounded this weekend when the forward missed out on Santos’ 3–1 defeat to Flamengo after undergoing a procedure on his knee during the March international window.

Cuca confirmed Neymar will also sit out of the club’s midweek clash with Deportivo Cuenca to open up the CONMEBOL Sudamericana, but it is all in line with Santos’ plans for the World Cup hopeful.

“During this break we had, he underwent a procedure on his knee, so he didn’t train and spent four or five days recovering from that procedure. He worked on some of the conditioning he needed to achieve. He came to the game against Remo, was out, and is doing work this week on strength, speed, and endurance,” Cuca revealed.

“He’ll recharge his energy to play the 13 consecutive games that remain until the next break. So we used this time, with the coaching staff and physiologists, to recharge his tank and get him going until the middle of the year.”

---

What Procedure Did Neymar Have Done?

Neymar is expected to feature week in and week out for Santos over the next few months. | Marco Buenavista/Sports Press Photo/Getty Images

A procedure is typically never a good thing for any player, especially one with Neymar’s lengthy injury history. But this time, a visit to the treatment room was a positive development in the Brazilian’s seemingly never-ending journey to full match fitness.

Neymar underwent Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) treatment, which uses the player’s own blood to regenerate tissues and aid in the healing of micro-lesions.

According to ESPN, the procedure is part of Santos’ plan to help Neymar maintain his fitness so he can play the club’s matches ahead of the World Cup. The end goal, though, remains getting the Barcelona legend ready to compete in the United States, Canada and Mexico this summer.

---

Uncertainty Still Looms Over Neymar’s World Cup Future

Carlo Ancelotti has remained noncommittal when it comes to Neymar’s World Cup prospects. | Daniel Castelo Branco/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images

Even if Neymar does indeed play the next 13 matches for Santos, which include eight rounds of the Brasileirão, two more games in the Copa do Brasil and the remaining group stage fixtures in the Copa Sudamericana, there is still no guarantee he gets the call-up for the World Cup.

Seleção boss Ancelotti has made it clear time and time again that Neymar does not have a place in his squad as long as he is “not at 100% of his capability.” It’s hard to know just how many games the forward needs to string together to prove his fitness to the Italian boss, especially if his 100% does not align with what the manager is looking for.

For all the deficiencies in Ancelotti’s squad, firepower up top is not one of them. Between Vinicius Junior, Raphinha, Matheus Cunha, João Pedro, Estêvão, Endrick and Gabriel Martinelli, the five-time World Cup champions are spoiled for choice in attack.

Ancelotti seemingly trusts the aforementioned players, who are still performing week in and week out for top teams in Europe, over the injury-prone Neymar, who has not featured for the Brazil national team since he tore his ACL in October 2023.

---