FC Cincinnati want Neymar. The Ohio club has made contact with the Brazilian's representatives to explore a move to MLS, per ESPN — a genuine inquiry, not a fishing expedition, covering both his interest and the financials required to make it happen.
The timing is the key detail here. Any transfer is expected to come after the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which Neymar is still angling to be part of despite not pulling on the Seleção shirt since October 2023. Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti has kept the door open, saying the 34-year-old would be considered if fully fit. That caveat matters right now — Neymar has managed just six appearances for Santos this season due to a knee injury, and only just underwent a procedure during the international break to get himself ready for a World Cup push.
What Cincinnati are actually buying
The raw numbers are worth sitting with: 374 goals in 625 club appearances, and 79 goals in 128 caps for Brazil — the all-time national record. This isn't a nostalgia signing in the mould of a player coasting toward retirement. It's a gamble on whether Neymar can rediscover the version of himself that made Barcelona and PSG believe he was the best player on the planet.
FC Cincinnati have built genuine MLS credibility. Two Supporters' Shield titles, a second-place finish last season, a run to the MLS Cup quarterfinals, and back-to-back CONCACAF Champions Cup appearances. They're not signing Neymar to sell shirts. They want to win something. Whether a 34-year-old with a complicated injury history fits that ambition is a legitimate question.
The World Cup variable
If Neymar makes Brazil's squad and performs, his market value — and his own sense of what he's still worth — shifts considerably. If he doesn't make the cut, or picks up another injury, Cincinnati could find themselves acquiring a player whose best motivation just evaporated.
Either scenario affects what any deal actually costs, and what they're getting when they get him. Ancelotti's fitness caveat is, quietly, the most important line in this whole story.
