FC Cincinnati has quietly held preliminary talks with Neymar’s camp about a possible move to Major League Soccer, a conversation that turned heads across the league on Thursday. The discussions have been described to reporters as exploratory rather than a deal in motion, and neither the club nor the forward’s representatives has floated formal offers. For a team far from the usual European and Saudi orbit, the notion of Neymar in orange and blue would be a shock to the system for both the MLS marketplace and local fans.
That reporting surfaced in an article published Thursday by The New York Times, which said the conversations were limited to testing feasibility and that people briefed on the talks stressed they were still in the early stages. According to the Times, Cincinnati has been leaning on its financial backing and new facilities as selling points when it sits down with global names. Multiple people familiar with the situation told reporters there is no signed agreement and no clear timetable for when, or if, a formal bid might actually materialize.
Roster math: three Designated Player slots are occupied
Any star-chasing move would slam straight into roster math. FC Cincinnati’s offseason roster list has Evander, Kévin Denkey and Miles Robinson among the players under contract for 2026. FC Cincinnati publicly posted its 2026 roster, while league reporting confirms that Evander arrived as a Designated Player and that Denkey was signed for roughly $16.2 million. ESPN reported the Denkey fee, and MLSsoccer documented Evander’s DP status. Together, those commitments leave almost no immediate room under MLS’s three-DP limit unless Cincinnati restructures or moves one of those contracts.
MLS mechanics would complicate a move
On top of any headline salary figure, MLS-specific rules around discovery rights, allocation money, salary-cap accounting and the three-Designated-Player ceiling can turn a blockbuster idea into a paperwork marathon. Earlier rounds of Neymar-to-MLS speculation have repeatedly flagged discovery-rights questions and league accounting as procedural hurdles that would have to be cleared before any club could even put a real offer on the table. That history has shown that even motivated owners and interested stars often spend weeks or months just proving that a transfer is legally and financially workable inside MLS rules. Goal and other outlets have tracked how those mechanisms shaped previous bursts of Neymar-related chatter around the league.
Where Neymar stands: Santos contract and the World Cup
For now, Neymar remains under contract with Santos through the end of 2026 and has been rebuilding his match fitness since returning from Saudi Arabia, a situation that fuels fresh interest while also limiting how easily he could move this year. The New York Times piece highlighted his early 2026 form, which reporters framed as meaningful contributions in league play, and underscored that the 2026 World Cup in North America is a major consideration in any decision he makes. Earlier coverage of his 2025 homecoming to Santos laid out the context and terms of that return, with AP documenting his move back to the Brazilian club.
Local reaction and what’s next
In Cincinnati, the idea has been greeted with a mix of raised eyebrows and wide eyes, as fans balance skepticism with the thought that a Neymar pursuit could be a once-in-a-generation moment for the Queen City. WCPO captured that mood after a recent playoff match, while the club’s own roster announcement underlines the very real constraints that would have to be untangled first. For now, people briefed on the talks describe them as exploratory. If they progress, expect a slow, technical grind rather than an overnight splash: clearing a DP slot, ironing out discovery-rights issues and assembling a proposal that fits MLS’s financial rulebook before Cincinnati could make any serious run at a player of Neymar’s stature.
