Brazilian superstar Neymar is already planning for life after football. The 29-year-old revealed the World Cup in 2022 will be his “last.” PSG’s forward says he doesn’t know if he has “the strength of mind to deal with football anymore”.
Talking to DAZN, Neymar said he sees next year’s World Cup as his final opportunity to win the most important trophy in football.
“I think it’s my last World Cup. I see it as my last because I don’t know if I have the strength of mind to deal with football anymore,” Neymar disclosed. “So I’ll do everything to turn up well, do everything to win with my country, to realize my greatest dream since I was little. And I hope I can do it,” the Brazilian added.
The 2022 World Cup should be the third in Neymar’s career after 2014 and 2018. In 2014, when Brazil hosted the tournament, Selecao went out in the semifinals following a shocking 7-1 defeat to Germany. Four years later in Russia, Brazil lost 2-1 to Belgium in the quarterfinals.
But the memory of 2014 is still strong for Neymar. He went out injured in the quarterfinals after Colombia’s Zuniga hit him in the back with his knee. Neymar was sidelined for more than a month, missing the horror game against Germany.
“It was one of the worst moments of my career. It ruined my dream of playing in a World Cup, playing the semifinal, the final … I couldn’t move my feet. I started to cry uncontrollably,” Neymar recalled. “They took me to the hospital, they examined me and the doctor told me, ‘I have two pieces of news, one good and one bad. Which one do you want?’
Neymar opted for the bad news and learned that he wouldn’t be able to play in the World Cup.
After asking for the good news, Neymar remembered the doctor’s answer.
“If it had been two centimeters to the side, you would not have been able to walk again,” Neymar remembered.
Neymar played 114 times for Brazil, scoring 69 goals at the international level. He made his debut for the Selecao in 2010 as an 18-year-old.
Neymar chega a Manaus de madrugada e atende os fãs que estavam na porta do hotel â¤ðŸ¥º pic.twitter.com/u0BZBBSVRL
— Memesneymar 🔛 (@memesneymar) October 11, 2021
