RIO DE JANEIRO — Neymar has reached an agreement to return to Santos nearly 12 years after leaving the Brazilian club, as confirmed by club president Marcelo Teixeira on Tuesday.
The talented Brazilian forward shared that his contract with Saudi club Al-Hilal was mutually terminated. His time at Al-Hilal was plagued with injuries, limiting him to just seven appearances with only one goal scored.
During his first stint with Santos, Neymar celebrated six titles, notably the Copa Libertadores in 2011. Santos is situated in a coastal city just outside São Paulo.
Teixeira expressed his excitement on social media, saying, “Neymar, the moment has come for you to return to your people, back to our home, to the club that resides in our hearts. Welcome back, our boy Ney! Vila is waiting for you to find happiness once more in the black and white jersey.”
Neymar, who was once considered among the finest players globally, had a challenging spell in Saudi Arabia, resulting in significant time spent recovering from an ACL injury sustained while representing Brazil in October 2023.
Local media in São Paulo have reported that the Brazilian icon is set to return to Brazil within the week to reintroduce himself to the Santos supporters shortly thereafter.
When Neymar moved from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in 2017, he became the most expensive footballer in history, with a transfer fee of 222 million euros (approximately $262 million at that time).
Although Neymar’s agent, Day Franco, offered no immediate comments, the player did convey his sentiments with a heart-related emoji in response to a post by Kely Nascimento, daughter of legendary three-time World Cup champion Pelé, who warmly welcomed Neymar back.
Kely expressed on Instagram, “I’m sure my father is celebrating in heaven knowing our boy is returning home.” Pelé passed away in December 2022.
Al-Hilal shared a video on Tuesday evening featuring Neymar saying farewell. “Today I am very happy to be returning home, back to my country,” he told his teammates, sidestepping any mention of Santos. “Playing for this club was a privilege, although my time here was shorter than expected, and I couldn’t contribute as much as I wanted.”
Santos experienced relegation to Brazil’s second division in 2023 but successfully made their return to the top tier in the latest season.
Neymar last played in November, during which Al-Hilal’s coach Jorge Jesus expressed uncertainties regarding the striker’s fitness to return to play.
After a big-money transfer to Saudi Arabia, Neymar’s time at Al-Hilal amounted to just seven matches over 17 months. The club announced on Monday that a mutual agreement had been reached for him to terminate his contract.
In a heartfelt message on social media, Neymar expressed gratitude: “I gave my all to play and wished for better times together. Thank you to Saudi Arabia for giving me and my family a fresh start and new experiences. I have made friends for life.”
Despite Neymar’s injury struggles, Al-Hilal clinched last season’s Saudi league title. His contract was initially set to last until after the FIFA Club World Cup, scheduled for June 15 to July 13 in the United States.
The striker transitioned to Al-Hilal from PSG for 90 million euros (about $94 million) in August 2023, with a salary regarded as one of the highest globally. However, shortly after joining, he suffered an ACL injury while playing for Brazil.
Neymar did return to training in October, but he has expressed uncertainty about his future in the remainder of the season. Fans of Santos had long anticipated Neymar’s comeback, having shared a video that featured Pelé’s voice, imploring Neymar to return and don the famous No. 10 shirt.
Earlier this year, during a visit to one of his projects in Brazil, Neymar dismissed speculation about a return to Santos, declaring it a complete fabrication. He explained, “I’ve committed to Al-Hilal for another year, planning to have a stellar season there. Santos will always have a place in my heart, and I hope to return someday, but it’s not something I’m considering right now.”
In January, Neymar stirred up discussion with comments regarding former PSG teammate Kylian Mbappé, now at Real Madrid, claiming the Frenchman developed some jealousy after Lionel Messi joined the club in August 2021. He also mentioned that large egos impacted PSG’s performance in significant matches.
As Brazil’s all-time top goalscorer with 79 goals in 125 matches, Neymar emphasized his focus on securing more playing time to prepare for the World Cup in North America next year, viewing it as a possible final opportunity to win the prestigious tournament.
