Neymar made a vibrant return to Santos on Wednesday, playing 52 minutes at Vila Belmiro Stadium in his first match after rejoining the Brazilian club. Despite his efforts, including powerful shots from outside the area, Santos ended the game in a 1-1 draw against Botafogo Ribeirao Preto, a team striving to avoid relegation in the Sao Paulo state championship.
On the occasion of his birthday, the 33-year-old forward took time to respond to doubts expressed by his former Al-Hilal coach, Jorge Jesus, regarding his fitness. “I need more minutes and matches. I’m not at 100%, but I didn’t anticipate running as much as I did tonight,” Neymar shared with reporters. He acknowledged that he is recovering from recent ACL surgery but expressed confidence that he would be in much better shape after playing a few more games.
Coming on to replace Gabriel Bontempo in the second half, Neymar quickly became the focal point of the match, enduring multiple fouls from opponents. He took six shots on goal and made 22 passes, some of which were notably sharp, reminiscent of his earlier playing days with Santos.
Last week, the Saudi club Al-Hilal and Neymar mutually agreed to terminate his contract six months early. This decision came after he had only participated in seven matches since September 2023, following a lengthy recovery period from an ACL injury that kept him sidelined for an entire year until October.
After the game, Neymar emphasized that his performance served as a reply to the skepticism voiced by his former coach. “I knew that I was going to show something different on the pitch,” he remarked while speaking to Brazilian channel CazeTV. He stressed that the field is his only platform to counter such criticism and stated, “I mentioned at Al-Hilal that I was ready to play. Not for a full 90 minutes, given my serious injury and another setback. I just need the fans to exercise some patience.”
Neymar has committed to a six-month deal with Santos, indicating that there is potential for an extension later on. The team’s supporters witnessed an exciting match, where Santos initially took the lead with a penalty converted by Tiquinho Soares in the 38th minute. Botafogo’s Alexandre Jesus equalized with a header in the 67th minute.
Santos missed several key chances, including two notable ones that followed passes from Neymar. Following the match, players from the opposing team rushed to capture photos with the football star, demonstrating the respect he holds within the community. Neymar reflected on his journey, saying, “I left here at age 21, traveled the world, and made history at the clubs I played for. This interaction with rivals shows the respect I receive back home.”
During his first tenure with Santos, Neymar played 225 matches and scored 138 goals, which contributed to the team’s six titles. Santos faced relegation in 2023 but successfully returned to the top division last year. As a tribute, Neymar chose to wear the iconic No. 10 jersey that belonged to the legendary Pelé instead of his previous No. 11.
In what marked a significant moment in soccer history, Neymar was once the most expensive player ever when he transferred from Barcelona to PSG for a staggering €222 million (approximately $262 million) in 2017. His move to Al-Hilal in 2023 was finalized for a fee of €90 million (around $94 million).
