Neymar’s Santos Contract Expires as FC Cincinnati Push for MLS Move

Santos, Brazil—Neymar’s emotional return to his boyhood club will reach a contractual crossroads on 31 December, freeing the 34-year-old striker to explore a lucrative stateside switch that FC Cincinnati are working feverishly to secure.

Sources tell ESPN Brazil that dialogue between the Brazilian superstar’s camp and the MLS side has escalated from preliminary discussions to face-to-face negotiations within days. Neymar Sr., long the player’s most influential advisor, is expected in Cincinnati alongside a team of image-rights specialists to meet club co-CEO Jeff Berding, general manager Chris Albright and sporting staff to hammer out financial terms and logistical hurdles.

Chief among those obstacles: Cincinnati already have all three Designated Player slots tied up in long-term deals, meaning any mid-season arrival would require creative roster maneuvering or patience until the 2027 MLS sprint season, when Neymar would be available on a free transfer.

Timing is equally delicate on the international stage. Neymar, who regained full fitness after a string of injuries, has reeled off three goals and two assists in four Santos appearances since late February—form compelling enough for Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti to reconsider the forward for a fourth World Cup run in 2026. FC Cincinnati, currently 10th in the Eastern Conference with a league-low 10 goals through seven matches, would prefer to integrate Neymar next summer, after the tournament, though they could opt to wait for a winter 2027 unveiling.

Should the deal materialize, Neymar would join countryman Evander—one of Cincinnati’s incumbent Designated Players—in an attack desperate for star power and production. The move would also continue the recent trend of global icons choosing MLS for their career epilogues, following Lionel Messi’s headline-grabbing arrival at Inter Miami in 2023 and Antoine Griezmann’s recent signing with Orlando City.

For now, Santos retain Neymar’s rights through the calendar year. Once the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve, the Seleção’s all-time leading scorer with 79 goals will be free to chart the next—and perhaps final—chapter of his storied career.