Neymar Returns To Santos For First Match In Nearly 12 Years

Neymar, the Brazilian soccer superstar, made his highly anticipated return to his boyhood club Santos on Wednesday, taking the field for the first time in nearly 12 years. The 33-year-old came on as a substitute at the start of the second half in Santos’ Campeonato Paulista match against Botafogo SP at the Estádio Vila Belmiro.

Despite Santos leading 1-0 when Neymar entered the game, the match ended in a 1-1 draw after Botafogo SP scored in the second half. Neymar, who was named the game’s best player, expressed his love for Santos and the emotions he felt upon returning to the pitch.

“I love Santos. I have no words to describe what I felt tonight when I stepped again on this pitch,” Neymar said after the game.

The Brazilian star acknowledged that he is not yet in peak physical condition but remains optimistic about his progress.

“I need minutes, games. I’m not at 100 percent. I didn’t expect to run and dribble so much tonight. I think I’ll feel better in four or five games,” he added.

Neymar sealed his move back to Santos on Jan. 31, signing a six-month deal that the club hopes to extend through at least the 2026 World Cup. During his previous stint with Santos, which ended in 2013, Neymar won six titles, including the Copa Libertadores trophy in 2011.

After leaving Santos, Neymar joined Barcelona and later became the most expensive transfer in soccer history when he moved to Paris Saint-Germain for €222 million (then $262 million) in 2017. In the summer of 2023, he signed with Al-Hilal in the Saudi Pro League but suffered an ACL injury while playing for Brazil in a World Cup qualifier.

Despite Neymar’s absence, Al-Hilal won last season’s Saudi league. However, the club declined to include him in their squad list for the second half of the SPL season, and manager Jorge Jesus stated that there was no longer a place for him with the team, leading to reports of a potential return to Santos.