The contract is about to expire, where will Neymar go in Santos?

Brazilian football superstar Neymar is experiencing a sad moment. The talented striker, once known as the "successor of Messi and Ronaldo", is preparing to usher in a countdown to the possible farewell at the starting point of his career, the Santos. His contract will officially expire on June 30, 2025, and there is not much time left for him.

After the latest physical examination, Neymar's recovery finally received a positive signal. He suffered a laceration of his left thigh semimembrane muscle in the game against Palmeiras on April 16, and was once considered to be reimbursed in advance for the season. However, the recovery is progressing smoothly, which gives fans hope.

If everything goes well, Neymar is expected to make his debut in two games against Botafogo (June 1) and against Fortaleza (June 12) before the Brazilian La Liga restart. These two games will also be Santos' last appearance before participating in the FIFA Club World Cup. For fans around the world, this may be their last chance to see Neymar wearing the Santos jersey.

From the highly anticipated return to now facing parting, this journey is far less smooth than people imagined. Neymar, who is 33 years old this year, has a significant decline in physical condition and frequent injuries have made it difficult for him to maintain his competitive level.

As of now, he has played 9 times this season, with a total of only 587 minutes of playing time, contributing 3 goals and 3 assists. Such data is obviously incomparable to Neymar, who shined in Europe and challenged Mello's dominance.

In addition to struggles on the court, Neymar also caused controversy over the court. Before the critical battle against Corinthian in the semi-finals of the São Paulo State Championship, he was photographed appearing at the Rio Carnival scene, a move that triggered a huge rebound in public opinion and eventually had to apologize publicly.

What is even more disappointing is that after absent from the first round of the Brazilian League against Vasco, Neymar appeared in Spain to participate in the "Kings League", which once again aroused doubts from the outside world about his professional attitude.

What made the club's top management most dissatisfied was that Neymar recently released the predicted starting list of Santos' next game through social media without authorization, and the content is very different from the actual arrangements of the head coach. This behavior of cross-border is seen as a great disrespect to the coaching staff and has also caused a stir on Brazilian social networks.

Nearby, Neymar is standing at the crossroads of his career. As the contract is about to expire, he must prove with practical actions that he is still worth a new contract. Should I continue to stay in Santos to complete the legendary story of falling leaves returning to my roots, or should I embark on a journey of exotic countries again and look for new opportunities? The answer may be revealed in the coming weeks.