Neymar Jr. has signed a contract extension with Santos, keeping him at the club until December 2026. This clears up any questions about his future as he prepares for next summer's World Cup.

The 33-year-old had been thinking about leaving for months. There was even talk about him joining Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez at Inter Miami, but that didn't happen. People wondered where the most expensive player of all time might go. Right now, Neymar is focused on getting ready for the World Cup, but only if he's fully fit.

Santos didn't make an official announcement, but they did post a video on social media that seemed to confirm Neymar's extension. The video showed a stadium screen changing the expiration date of Neymar's contract from June 10, 2026, to Dec. 31, 2026.

It's been a tough time for Neymar since he came back to Brazil. He was welcomed as a returning hero, but injuries have bothered him throughout 2025.

The former Barcelona player is recovering from knee surgery and will likely be out until mid-February. That gives him only a few weeks to get in Carlo Ancelotti's good graces before the March international break.

Neymar first hurt his meniscus back in November but played through the pain to help Santos avoid being relegated. He may not be as fast as he used to be, but he's still determined, which has been a key part of his career.

Last November, against Sport Recife, Neymar scored the first goal and helped set up the third in a 3–0 victory. Four days later, he scored all three goals against Juventude and finished the season with a 3–0 victory over Cruzeiro.

Santos, who had just been promoted from the second division, finished four points above the relegation zone and even qualified for the group stage of the Copa Sudamericana.

Before Santos posted the social media video, Globo reported that Neymar's extension also includes R$85 million ($15.4 million) for NR Sports, his parents' company, to be paid by the end of 2026.

Football has been a part of Neymar's life since he was born because his father used to be a winger. Even before his first night, Neymar met the physiotherapist of his father’s club, Atilio Suarti, who came to pick him up from the hospital.

Soon after, Neymar Sr. said that his son would be the best Brazilian football player ever. Maybe he didn't become the best, but it's definitely been good for him financially.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang just got kicked off Gabon’s national team—by the government, not the coaches. They didn’t just stop at him, either. The authorities actually suspended the whole squad and all the coaches after Gabon crashed out of AFCON. The acting sports minister, Simplice-Desire Mamboula, went on live TV and called the team’s performance “disgraceful” after their 3-2 loss to Ivory Coast.

He didn’t hold back. “Given the Panthers’ disgraceful performance at the Africa Cup of Nations, the government has decided to dissolve the coaching staff, suspend the national team until further notice, and exclude players Bruno Ecuele Manga and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang,” he announced. He even told the Gabonese Football Federation to take responsibility.

Gabon was actually leading by two goals at halftime in their last Group F match on Wednesday but fell apart after the break. That loss capped off a miserable run—three games, three defeats—so they packed up and went home from Marrakech, Morocco.

Bruno Ecuele Manga, who used to play for Cardiff, got dropped for the Ivory Coast game by head coach Thierry Mayouma. Now Mayouma’s out of a job, too. Aubameyang, meanwhile, went back to Marseille with a thigh injury.

Aubameyang isn’t just any player—he’s Gabon’s all-time top scorer. He played and scored in their 3-2 loss to Mozambique, then came off the bench during the 1-0 defeat to Cameroon. He’s 36 now, and, honestly, this probably marks the end of his international career. Ecuele Manga is 37, so he’s likely done as well.

Things have been rough for Gabon lately. They missed out on the World Cup after losing to Nigeria in the play-off semi-final—just one point short of automatic qualification.

Governments used to disband national teams in Africa pretty often, but FIFA has tried to stop that. For example, in 2017, FIFA suspended Mali’s Football Association after their sports minister dissolved the executive committee, booting out the board and the president. So Gabon’s move is a throwback, and it’s bound to get some attention.