On vacation in Brazil, Neymar responded to Gabriel Barbosa’s invitation to attend Flamengo’s victory against Gremio (2-1) on Thursday. The Brazilian star confided his desire to one day wear the Carioca team jersey.
At 32 years old and despite injuries, Neymar still has many plans for the rest of his career. The Brazilian striker, who is recovering from a serious left knee injury that occurred last October, took advantage of his vacation in Brazil to attend the meeting between Flamengo and Gremio (2-1), Thursday in the Brazilian championship. He was invited by Gabriel Barbosa known as “Gabigol”, Flamengo striker, and also wore a team jersey printed with the name of his teammate in the Brazilian selection.
“It would be a great pleasure if one day I could play here”
In an interview with the club channel, the Al-Hilal (Saudi Arabia) striker confided his desire to one day wear the red and black striped jersey for real. “I always said that (that he wanted to play for Flamengo),” he said. “Obviously, Flamengo is my second favorite team, because my first is Santos. With all due respect to the team that trained me and of which I have been a fan since I was little, I have great affection for Flamengo and obviously it would be a huge pleasure if one day I could play here I don’t know (if he will one day play for Flamengo), only God knows. I still have a contract at Al-Hilal, I’m there. still am, but I don’t know. Nobody knows the future.”
The former PSG striker is linked with Al-Hilal until 2025 with an additional year optional. He only played five matches with his team before rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus in his left knee during Brazil’s defeat in Uruguay (2-0, 2026 World Cup qualifiers) on October 17. Last April, UOL Esporte claimed that Neymar had announced his intention to return to play for… Santos in 2025 during a visit to his training club.
Neymar opens a new door for his future. His name is also sometimes mentioned on the Inter Miami side where his former FC Barcelona partners Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets play. In the meantime, the attacking midfielder is enjoying his convalescence in the country. “For me it is a great pleasure to be here to watch Flamengo,” he concluded. “Gabi, who invited me, told me to come and see him play. So I came to honor, not only him, but I also have other friends at Flamengo. So it’s a great honor for me to be here.”
