MLS club FC Cincinnati eyeing major Neymar move

Brazilian soccer veteran and former Barcelona FC and PSG icon Neymar is now reportedly on his way to the USA. Currently playing for his childhood club Santos in Brazil, latest reports suggest that MLS’ FC Cincinnati could be eyeing a move to secure Neymar.

According to a source close to ESPN’s Nathalia Ferrão, “FC Cincinnati has begun exploring options to bring the Santos star to the United States.”

As per the report, FC Cincinnati has begun contact with Neymar’s representatives to assess his interest and open preliminary discussions regarding a move to the MLS club. Neymar currently remains under contract with Santos through the end of 2026 after extending his deal for one more year, last year in Dec. 2025. According to the source, Cincinnati’s inquiry focuses on Neymar’s interest in transitioning a move to MLS and the financial framework required to do so. The Athletic was one of the first media outlets to report news of Neymar’s rumored move.

The 34-year-old began his senior career in Santos, before moving to Barcelona from 2013 to 2017, then to PSG from 2017 to 2023. Following this, he secured a move to Al-Hilal from 2023 to 2025, before coming back to his boyhood club, Santos.

The decision about Neymar’s future was assumed to wait until after the conclusion of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, irrespective of his participation with the Brazilian team. Despite his previous match-winning performances for Brazil, Neymar has not been called for national team duties since Oct. 2023.

Quite injury-prone, Neymar has also been absent from Santos’ squad for the past two weeks due to a knee injury. Limited to just six squad appearances in 2026, Neymar has managed to score three goals and three assists. With still uncertainty regarding his national team selection, Brazil’s coach Carlos Ancelotti has repeatedly stated that Neymar would be considered for the World Cup team selection based on his fitness.