Neymar confirmed on Thursday that he is returning to Santos, the Brazilian club where he began his career, following the end of his injury-plagued stint with Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal.
“I will sign a contract with Santos Futebol Clube,” Neymar wrote on social media, sharing images from his time at the São Paulo-based club, where football legend Pelé spent most of his career. Santos responded on X, saying: “Your home awaits you. Your people await you.”
The 32-year-old forward, who previously played for Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, made just seven appearances for Al Hilal despite earning a reported $104 million per year.
Neymar joined the Saudi club in August 2023, following Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema to the Gulf. However, two months later, he ruptured a cruciate ligament in his left knee during a 2026 World Cup qualifier with Brazil, sidelining him for a year. His comeback attempts were further hampered by hamstring and knee injuries.
Al Hilal coach Jorge Jesus recently commented, “He can no longer play at the level we are used to. Things have become difficult for him, unfortunately.”
With 79 goals in 128 appearances for Brazil, Neymar’s return to Santos could be his last opportunity to revive his career. Despite interest from MLS clubs, he opted to return home in hopes of securing a place in Brazil’s squad for the 2026 World Cup in Mexico, the United States, and Canada.
Neymar faces a significant challenge at Santos, a club that only returned to Brazil’s top division in 2023 after spending a year in the second tier. His schedule will be packed with domestic competitions, including the São Paulo State Championship, the Brazilian Cup, and the national league, which kicks off at the end of March. With such a high-profile return, he is sure to draw massive attention from Santos fans, though his peak years are likely behind him.
At the start of his career, Neymar was hailed as the heir to Pelé. He scored 136 goals in 225 appearances for Santos before making a high-profile move to Barcelona in 2013. There, he became part of a legendary attacking trio alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez, helping the club win the Champions League in 2015 with a 3-1 victory over Juventus in the final.
His World Cup journey with Brazil was filled with both triumph and heartbreak. In 2014, an injury in the quarter-finals ended his tournament early, and Brazil suffered a crushing 7-1 defeat to Germany in the semi-finals. Two years later, he redeemed himself by scoring the decisive penalty in the shootout that secured Brazil’s first-ever Olympic gold medal in men’s football at the Rio Games.
In 2017, Neymar became the most expensive player in history when Paris Saint-Germain, owned by Qatar Sports Investments, paid €220 million ($230 million) to bring him to France. He won five Ligue 1 titles and played a key role in PSG’s run to the Champions League final in the 2019-2020 season, though they lost to Bayern Munich.
PSG reunited Neymar with Messi in the French capital, but despite forming a star-studded trio with Kylian Mbappé, the team never fully clicked. Internal tensions and PSG’s shifting priorities led to Neymar’s departure in 2023, sending him to Saudi Arabia. Now, with his return to Santos, he has one last chance to write a new chapter in his career.
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© Agence France-Presse
