Neymar prophesies Ballon d'Or for Vinicius Jr and rules out return to Santos: “Nothing planned”

Despite recovering from an injury to his left knee, Neymar expressed confidence by saying that Vinicius Junior will be the next to win the Ballon d'Or. Furthermore, the player offered the chances of returning to Santos the following year, stating that there is no plan in progress.

Gold ball

During the Instituto Neymar Jr.'s charity auction, the player revealed that he is rooting for the success of his friend Vinicius Junior, Real Madrid striker. Neymar shared his conviction that Vinicius will be crowned the best player in the world by FIFA this season. “As for Vini, obviously the Ballon d'Or is his. I'm in the crowd. I sent a message before the game, after the game. He's a boy I love with passion. A great friend that football gave me. He will certainly be crowned with the Ballon d'Or. He's incredible, carrying our country's flag around the world. We're very happy and rooting for him”, declared Neymar.

Neymar mentioned that he spoke with Vinicius Junior both before and after the Champions League title won against Borussia Dortmund. This confidence in Vinicius' talent reflects not only the friendship between the two players, but also Neymar's admiration for the young striker's performance.

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_{Neymar, Al Hilal player, speaks to the press at the Instituto Neymar Jr. charity auction. (reproduction/Miguel Schincariol/GettyimagesEmbed)}

Recovery

Neymar also clarified rumors about a possible return to Santos in 2025. He said that, despite the desire of Marcelo Teixeira, the club's president, to have him back at Vila Belmiro, he plans to honor his commitment to Al Hilal, in Saudi Arabia. “The chance of returning to Santos next year does not exist). Everything that has been said is absolutely false. There is no plan. I still have a year left on my contract with Al Hilal.

I hope I can have a great season. I missed out on that last one. Let's live little by little. There's a lot of time ahead. Obviously Santos is the team of my heart, one day I want to return, yes, but I don't have anything planned in my head”, explained Neymar.

Furthermore, Neymar spoke about his recovery from his left knee injury, a rupture in the anterior cruciate ligament, which has kept him away from the field for seven months. “It's (the recovery) going. It's painful. A lot of suffering. But I'm recovering. It's been seven months since the injury. There's still a few months to go. But we're going,” he reported.

Brazilian Team

Neymar also expressed his sadness at not being able to participate in the Copa América due to his injury. Despite this, he continues to support Brazil. “It's going to be sad (following the team from afar). It's very bad to be left out, obviously, but we're in the crowd, like you. I hope Brazil can win. They have the team for that, very high-quality players. We're in the crowd. I hope I hope Dorival does a great job with everyone. I'll be cheering him on,” he said.

The Neymar Jr. Institute auction is one of the player's several initiatives off the field, reflecting his commitment to social causes and support for community projects. Even away from the field, Neymar continues to influence world football and inspire young athletes, like Vinicius Junior, who follow in his footsteps in search of excellence in the sport.

Featured Photo: Neymar in alhilal (Reproduction/Instagram/@neymarjr)