Brazil legend Ronaldo Nazario claimed Neymar is the country's "biggest hope" for next year's World Cup, and has urged them to keep him in their plans for the tournament.

Neymar was out for 12 months due to a knee ligament injury, which ultimately led to his contract at Al-Hilal being terminated.

He then returned to Santos in January, making 14 appearances in all competitions, while scoring three goals and registering three assists.

Neymar received a red card in Santos' 1-0 defeat to Botafogo earlier this month, in what could have been his final match for the club with his current contract due to run out on June 30.

However, reports this week suggest he is close to extending his stay at the club and will put pen to paper on a new one-year deal.

Neymar had spoken of his desire to return to the national set-up, and was called up for Brazil's March fixtures, though had to drop out through injury, and was subsequently left out of Carlo Ancelotti's first squad.

But Ronaldo believes Neymar should remain in the thoughts of the head coach, with the aim of making sure the 33-year-old is back in the fold for the 2026 World Cup.

"It's not easy to be out for a year, come back from a serious injury and start playing again as if nothing had happened," Ronaldo told Denilson's podcast, via Goal.

"What Neymar is going through is very natural. It's happened to almost everyone who has had an injury that lasts more than a year. You can look at the statistics. It's very difficult.

"Of course, when he's playing, he'll give his best for the club, but we have to respect the plan. He doesn't have to push himself to the limit all the time during this recovery process, especially since he's our biggest hope for the Brazilian national team.

"I talked to him a lot so he could take it easy, stay focused, train hard, and keep his legs strong. The goal has to be the World Cup."

Brazil qualified for the World Cup, which is being hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico next year, with two games to spare thanks to a 1-0 victory over Paraguay in their last match.

They remain the only nation to qualify for every edition of the World Cup, with the 2026 tournament set to be their 23rd appearance.