Neymar believes that in all likelihood FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar might be his last, as the pressure of the game has taken its toll on the player’s physical and mental health.
Brazilian footballer Neymar, who has played more than a hundred times for Brazil since the last 11 years, is his country’s second-highest scorer of all time after Pelé and has been featured at the 2010 and 2014 World Cups.
“I think it’s my last World Cup,” he said in a new documentary, Neymar Jr and The Line Of Kings, produced by DAZN. “I see it as my last because I don’t know if I have the strength of mind to deal with football anymore”.
“So I’ll do anything 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.”
Following the loss in the semifinals and quarterfinals of the last two World Cups, Brazil is presently at the top of South America’s qualifying group for next year’s World Cup on 28 points after 10 games.
The 29-year-old had scored his 12th World Cup qualifying goal when Brazil beat Peru last month, taking his tally for his country to 69, eight behind Pelé’s record.
He had been featured in Sunday’s 0-0 draw against Colombia, a score that still leaves Brazil six points clear at the top of its qualifying group ahead of Argentina.
After winning the World Cup on the last five occasions; the last coming in 2002 — the Seleção have been through disappointment in recent editions.
In the 2014 tournament; that saw Neymar miss the concluding stages through injury, Brazil lost 7-1 to Germany in the semifinals.
While, in 2018, Brazil quit the competition in the quarterfinals after a 2-1 defeat against Belgium.