Neymar needs to regain his rhythm after a lengthy spell out of action.
It’s official. Neymar has gone full circle, transferring to his first professional club: Santos of Brazil’s Série A.
From one angle, he’s back an evolved athlete. Since shooting to fame as a teenager at Santos, where he netted 136 goals in 225 games, he’s reached much loftier heights, starring and scoring prolifically in the glamorous forward lines at Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain and winning some of the biggest prizes.
Yet the failure of his gaudy move to the Saudi Pro League and Al-Hilal—where he made only seven appearances and scored just once, spending most of his stay on the sidelines due to injury—has left 32-year-old Neymar’s career at a nadir. The Saudi powerhouse’s call to discontinue his contract tells its own story, with unavailability and a lack of sharpness the stumbling blocks.
And still, Neymar won’t be decelerating at Santos. At least, that’s not the plan. As well as the commercial boost he will provide the side and Brazilian soccer upon returning and shining, Neymar has some unfinished business—a last attempt at World Cup glory with the Selecão. The tournament comes to the Americas in 2026.
Neymar’s last game for Brazil was against Uruguay in October 2023, when he reputed his anterior … [+]
Neymar faces arguably the biggest weeks and months of his soccer life. There’s an urgency to shake off his injuries, build fitness, and stay in excellent shape in the run-up to next summer. From a less practical standpoint, there’s a curiosity to see if Neymar can reignite his best form; at his peak with Barcelona, where he won the Champions League in 2015, he was a fast and flamboyant menace to the opposition.
Santos and a different level of competition arrive ten years on. Yet, it could be the perfect tonic. It’s an exciting period for Pelé’s former team after winning promotion to the Brazilian top flight in November and starting its season in March. Neymar will receive unconditional love there, and familiar surroundings may do wonders.
You only have to watch the Netflix series Saudi Pro League: Kickoff to see how out of sorts the player was in the Middle East, in pain and supporting from the stands—the ghost of a celebrity who’s changed hands (Spanish) for approximately €464 million ($484 million) stranded on another planet. It felt like Neymar was in decline, and he might well be, although the homecoming should reinvigorate him, rekindling some of the original joy.
There’s still room for Neymar in the Brazil setup. Compatriots, none more so than Raphinha, are closer to their best. Then again, qualification for the World Cup is proving an ordeal, and coach Dorival Júnior is keen to welcome the attacker back into the fold—if he’s in good condition. Neymar has the swagger and invention to affect games, qualities that don’t fade quickly.
The World Cup will include more teams and fixtures, so fans can expect an even bigger spectacle once the 2025/26 domestic campaigns wrap up. And though glory for Brazil and Neymar is a long way off, his narrative to date—of a theatrical, money magnet without the ultimate crown—has time for a final twist if all goes well.
