Major League Soccer side FC Cincinnati is in the race to sign Brazilian football icon Neymar from his current side, Santos FC, according to ESPN.
The 34-year-old Brazilian forward signed a contract extension in January to keep him at the Sao Paulo club until the end of 2026.
But sources told ESPN that the Ohio-based club has initiated contact with Neymar’s representation to gague his interest in transferring to MLS. The Athletic was the first to report the move.
The inquiry focused on if the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain star would consider a move and what financials would be required to complete the deal, per the outlet.
It’s believed that any decision on his future will be made after the 2026 FIFA World Cup – regardless of Neymar’s participation.
The winger has not been called up to represent the Seleção since October 2023, but has expressed his belief that he should be.
FC Cincinnati has begun preliminary talks to bring Brazilian star Neymar to MLS this year
It’s expected that any move for Neymar would happen after the World Cup, where the 34-year-old winger is hoping to return after having been absent from the Seleção since October 2023
FC Cincinnati has been one of the best teams in MLS over the past three seasons
The winger has been absent from the Santos squad for the past few weeks due to a knee injury that has limited him to only six appearances this year.
Santos manager Cuca said on Tuesday that Neymar underwent a knee procedure in the international break to be ‘raring to go’ leading up to the World Cup.
This is crucial for his potential selection as Brazil national team boss Carlo Ancelotti previously stated Neymar would be considered for selection for the World Cup if he was fully fit.
Brazil recently lost 2-1 to France and beat Croatia 3-1 at the most recent international break.
Across 625 career club matches, Neymar has bagged 374 goals for his club teams. He is also the all-time top goal scorer for the Brazilian national team with 79 goals in 128 caps.
Since coming into MLS in 2016, FC Cincinnati has won the MLS Supporters Shield twice – most recently in 2023. Last season, they finished second in the league and reached the quarterfinals of MLS Cup. They also have reached the CONCACAF Champions Cup in back-to-back seasons.
