By Michael Nsikan Richard – December 8th 2025
Santos Survives Relegation Battle
According to reports from ESPN and Goal.com, Santos managed to keep themselves in Brazil’s top flight after a convincing 3-goal victory over Cruzeiro at Vila Belmiro Stadium in their season finale. The historic club wrapped up the campaign sitting in 12th position with 47 points, which proved just enough to avoid the drop. This result was especially meaningful given that Santos had only just climbed back from the second tier before this season began, and they spent much of the year uncomfortably close to the relegation places.
The 33-year-old Neymar became instrumental during the club’s desperate fight to stay up, netting 3 times and setting up 2 more goals in matches where the pressure was at its highest, all before that decisive Cruzeiro encounter.
Throughout the 38-round league season, he managed to feature in 19 matches and found the back of the net 8 times total, though injuries kept disrupting his availability and forcing him to miss significant stretches of the campaign.
Knee Surgery Announcement
In the aftermath of Santos narrowly avoiding relegation, Neymar disclosed that he would undergo surgery to address ongoing knee problems, explaining that rest had become unavoidable after pushing through considerable discomfort during recent weeks.
Medical sources suggest the operation will focus on repairing damage to the meniscus in his left knee, which happens to be the same knee that required surgical intervention back in 2023 when doctors had to reconstruct his ACL and fix meniscus tears.
The Brazilian forward spoke candidly about how grueling the past few weeks had been physically, making sure to thank everyone who stood by him while he battled through the pain. He was honest in admitting that without their support and constant encouragement, suiting up for those final crucial matches would have been impossible, especially with his knee causing persistent problems.
2026 World Cup Aspirations
While Neymar has made it clear he still harbors ambitions of representing Brazil at the 2026 World Cup, national team manager Carlo Ancelotti hasn’t given him the call-up since assuming control of the squad back in May. Now with surgery on the horizon, his chances of making it to the tournament look increasingly uncertain, as everything will come down to how quickly he can recover and when exactly the procedure takes place.
Ancelotti has been quite deliberate in his approach to discussing Neymar’s potential involvement with the national setup, consistently emphasizing that squad selection will only include players who have reached peak physical condition. The Italian tactician has made it abundantly clear that he refuses to cave to outside pressure when picking his teams, insisting he requires players operating at 100% given how fierce the competition is for attacking spots in the Brazilian squad.
Brazil plans to announce their final World Cup roster following the March 2026 FIFA international window, which does give Neymar a window of several months to complete his rehabilitation and demonstrate he’s back to full fitness.
Uncertain Club Future
Goal.com has reported that Neymar’s current deal with Santos runs out in just a matter of weeks, and the upcoming surgery has thrown a wrench into any potential contract discussions. After the Cruzeiro match wrapped up, journalists asked him about what comes next, and the forward admitted he genuinely wasn’t sure yet, saying he needed some time away to rest his body and clear his head before committing to anything. However, he did acknowledge that staying at Santos would be his preference if possible.
Santos now finds themselves in a tricky spot as they weigh whether to offer him fresh terms, knowing that any potential agreement would need to factor in medical projections about his recovery timeline and a realistic assessment of his physical state moving forward. Given how soon his contract expires, reaching a quick resolution seems unlikely despite the obvious mutual respect and emotional connection between the player and the club.
EXCLUSIVE: Neymar not certain of making Brazil team for 2026 World Cup
