Neymar has opened up about life after soccer in a new interview, in which he also admitted something few would expect from one of the sport’s biggest stars. The 34-year-old Santos forward spoke with the YouTube program Varanda Gourmet and gave a blunt look at what he wants once his playing days are over.
Although the Brazilian never specified a date for his retirement, Neymar already knows what he will do when he steps away from professional soccer. “When I retire, I’m going to spend a year not doing a damn thing,” he said in the interview.
He insisted that he will not set any routine for that time: “I’m going to do this: if I feel like playing soccer today, I play soccer. If I don’t feel like doing a damn thing today, I do nothing”.
The forward also surprised by saying that he does not enjoy watching soccer on television. “When I said it in interviews or to my friends, nobody believed me. I love soccer, but I love playing it. Sitting on the couch, turning on the TV and watching a match… I can’t,” the Brazilian said.
He recalled his time at Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, when friends who lived with him watched games on weekends from the morning until the late afternoon. “In Paris and Barcelona, on Saturdays and Sundays there was only soccer on TV. From 11 in the morning until 6 in the afternoon watching soccer… I can’t stand it!” Neymar added.
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What awaits Neymar at Santos
For now, Neymar remains active, and his contract with Santos runs until Dec. 31, with no confirmation about his next step. The club wants to keep him for 2027, but talks have not advanced, and his continuity is expected to depend largely on the club’s presidential election in December and on a spot in the Copa Libertadores, with interest from the United States also in the background.
A possible retirement is not necessarily tied to the end of his contract, which keeps the door open for him to continue playing or to call it a day. Whatever he decides, Neymar has made one thing clear: when the time comes, he will not rush into his next chapter, and the year he plans to spend away from the game will be on his own terms.
