Neymar in talks over surprise MLS transfer: A sensible deal or just a PR stunt?

Tom Weber

10 Apr 2026 13:01 CDT
5 min read

Major League Soccer franchise FC Cincinnati are in preliminary talks with Santos star Neymar over a potential transfer.

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The Brazil international remains a household name in football, even if he has disappeared from the sport's mainstream in recent years. Injuries have plagued Neymar and ended his career at the top of the European game.

He joined Al-Hilal from PSG for €90 million in 2023, but after being restricted to just a handful of games, he left the Riyadh giants in early 2025 to return to boyhood club Santos.

He initially joined the Brazilian side on a short-term deal because he harboured ambitions of returning to Europe. However, when this did not materialise, he extended his contract and helped the club avoid relegation last year.

Ahead of the 2026 season, he again decided to sign a new deal through the end of the year. His full focus right now is on convincing Carlo Ancelotti to include him in Brazil's World Cup squad.

Neymar in talks with Cincinnati

What happens after the World Cup, though, is currently unclear. Neymar could continue at Santos, or he could fulfil his long-held ambition of moving stateside and playing in MLS.

According to The Athletic, FC Cincinnati are currently in talks with the player's camp to gauge his interest in potentially joining the club. It is unclear whether these talks are centred around a summer move or a free transfer at the end of the year.

Discussions are said to be at a very early stage, and there is no guarantee at this point that they will progress. However, as alluded to above, Neymar did previously signal that he would be interested in playing in MLS.

The expectation was always that he would end up at one of the Los Angeles clubs or at Inter Miami. Cincinnati would be quite a surprising destination for the Brazilian megastar.

But Cincinnati are an ambitious club. Backed by local billionaire owners, Cincy have made waves since making the step up from the USL Championship in 2019. Their 26,000-capacity soccer-specific TQL Stadium opened in 2021.

Cincy won the Supporters' Shield for the best regular-season record in MLS in 2023 and finished second in the Eastern Conference last season. They have also not been afraid to spend big on signings, especially on Brazilians.

Brenner became their record signing when he joined from Sao Paulo for €11.8 million in 2021. His record was shattered by Togo international Kevin Denkey, who was signed for €15.3m last year, before playmaker Evander joined from the Portland Timbers for €11.5m a few weeks later.

Neymar to Cincinnati: the pros and cons

Cincinnati hope that their ambition and great facilities will appeal to Neymar, but the simple fact is that the city remains a tough sell to big-name players. It doesn't have the same glitz and glamour as LA, Miami, New York City and perhaps even Toronto.

Cincy previously failed to convince USMNT stars Weston McKennie and Josh Sargent to join. Thomas Muller and Mario Gotze also reportedly turned down moves - despite Cincinnati boasting one of the largest German communities in the US.

Neymar held talks with the Chicago Fire after he left Al-Hilal, but these discussions came to nothing. It is unclear whether he was hesitant to move to the Midwest, unconvinced by the perennial strugglers' project or if other factors influenced his decision.

Cincy, though they have been significantly more successful in recent years, could face a similar issue, geographically and in terms of their sporting project. Their start to the season has been poor, made worse by the fact that star players Evander and Denkey seemingly don't see eye-to-eye.

They also currently do not have an open Designated Player (DP) spot available, so they would have to move one of their players on. The most likely candidate would perhaps be Denkey, who has been fielding European interest recently.

Neymar would not be a like-for-like replacement, which would require even more roster changes. On the face of it, there is no clear need for Cincinnati to sign Neymar. While Neymar is still effective when fit, he will be 35 by the time he arrives, so this would be a major sporting gamble.

On the flip side, though, it would raise the club's profile. Neymar is no Lionel Messi, but he is undeniably one of the most recognisable names in the sport, and there has been a renewed push in MLS to sign global superstars following the Argentine's success at Inter Miami.

This push is by design. MLS is trying to enter the mainstream US zeitgeist more ahead of negotiations over a new national broadcast deal. The current contract with Apple TV expires at the end of the 2028/29 season.

Financially, the current agreement pales in comparison to the broadcast contracts of other major leagues in the US, so MLS is naturally trying to force its way into the limelight in a bid to get a better deal next time.

Ultimately, it is too early to say which way the negotiations between Neymar and Cincinnati will go. It would be a fascinating move if it were to materialise, though.

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