The president of Santos, Marcelo Teixeira, He announced on Tuesday Neymar’s return to the Brazilian club in which he formed, twelve years after his march to Barcelona.
“Welcome, ‘Menino’ Ney! Child of La Vila (Belmiro)! Come and be happy with the sacred mantle. The Santos Nation awaits you with open arms,” he said Teixeira in a video posted on social networks.
The striker, near turning 33 years, He returns to his native country after having reached an agreement on Monday to terminate his contract with the Saudi Al-Hilal, with which he only played seven games since his signing, in August 2023.
Teixeira did not specify the duration of the new contract of the 10 of the Brazilian team, although the local press speculates that I could sign until mid -2025, with the option to extend it.
Neymar fulfills his promise
The leader recalled Neymar’s beginnings in Santos, the São Paulo coast club that Pelé placed on the world football map.
“Neymar, you said goodbye to La Vila to realize her dreams. But you left a promise that we never forgot: ‘I am leaving, but I will return,’ you remember? I am sure that this phrase accompanied you during all this time,” said Teixeira .
Neymar had a contract in force with the Al-Hilal until the middle of the year, but The lack of trust of Portuguese coach Jorge Jesus, Who said he did not have him for the Saudi Pro League, precipitated his departure.
More than a year almost without playing
Neymar It has been practically without playing for more than a year. On October 17, 2023 he suffered the breakage of the anterior cross ligament and the left knee meniscus in a match between Brazil and Uruguay, in Montevideo.
He reappeared on October 21, 2024 at a meeting of the Asian Champions League and days later he played a second game of the competition. However, a few days later, he had a muscle injury that forced him to stop again.
The Rumor of Inter Miami
Finally, in the midst of Rumors about its possible signing for Inter Miamiin which they play Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, Exomasser of his in Barcelona, Neymar chose to return to the starting point, to Santos.
In the Pelé club he caught the world’s attention. It was the banner of the last golden stage of Santos that today has serious economic problems and that this year will play again in the first division of the Brazilian championship after spending a season in series B.
His previous step by Santos
Between 2009 and 2013, Neymar played 225 games, scored 135 goals and raised important titles with the Albinegra shirt, Among them a Copa Libertadores.
Then he made the leap to Europe by the hand of Barcelona, in which he continued to grow in the shadow of Messi and added more titles to his record: the Champions League, two Spanish leagues, three cups of the king …
In 2017, when no one expected, he took a radical turn to his career and signed with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), which disbursed 222 million euros, his termination clause. In 2020, he played a Champions League final again, but lost it to Bayern Munich.
From there, he spoke a series of serious injuries and extra -sports scandals that relegated him to the second line of the football elite.
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In 2023, without options before the arrival on the bench of the PSG of the Spanish coach Luis Enriquemade the bags and joined the millionaire project of Saudi Arabia, where his figure continued by waning.
Now, in Santos, he hopes to recover the lost brightness with an eye on the United States World Cup, Canada and Mexico of 2026.
