Neymar has expressed that returning to Santos has helped him “rediscover joy” after rejoining his boyhood club on a short-term contract. The 33-year-old ended a 16-month goal drought by converting a penalty in Santos’ 3-1 victory against Agua Santa on Sunday.
“I’m happy to be playing again. I feel like I’m improving,” Neymar shared. His return to Santos followed a mutual agreement to terminate his contract with Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal, where he struggled with injuries.
Neymar acknowledged that he isn’t fully fit yet, as this was only his fourth match, but he is feeling better with each game. “I was anxious to score and wanted to dedicate this goal to the fans and my family,” he added.
Al-Hilal had paid £77.6 million to bring Neymar from Paris Saint-Germain in August 2023, but a knee injury limited him to just seven appearances. Neymar had made his professional debut for Santos at 17 in 2009, where he scored 136 goals and provided 64 assists in 225 games during his first stint.
His move to Barcelona in 2013 for £48.6 million helped him cement his status as one of the world’s top players, winning eight trophies, including the Champions League and two La Liga titles. He later moved to Paris Saint-Germain for a world-record £200 million in 2017, adding 13 more trophies to his collection. However, after falling out of favor with manager Luis Enrique, Neymar sought a new challenge in Saudi Arabia.
Despite breaking Pele’s record to become Brazil’s all-time leading male goalscorer with 78 goals, Neymar has not played for his country since suffering his knee injury in October 2023.
Neymar revealed he had longed for this moment to return to Santos, signing a deal that runs until June 30. “We’re helping each other, Santos are helping me. They’ve opened doors for me to rediscover football and joy,” he said. “I didn’t want to commit to a long contract because I wasn’t sure how I’d return. I didn’t know how I’d feel in these months, so let’s enjoy these moments. It’s the start of a great era for Santos.”