After months of rumors, Neymar has confirmed his return to his boyhood club Santos, after terminating his contract with Al Hilal. The Brazilian star published a video on his Instagram account, explaining his decision, as well as praising his former club and his fans.
“I didn’t want to wait until tomorrow. My friends and family already know my decision. I’ll sign a contract with Santos Futebol Clube,” Neymar says in the video. “I want to thank my fans from all over the world, who have been wishing for this moment to come true for a long time.”
“It’s been nearly 12 years since I left the most famous Vila in the world. And it seems like it was yesterday. My feelings for the club and fans have never changed,” he adds, before thanking Al Hilal and Saudi Arabia for his time in the Middle Eastern country, even sharing that he will be rooting for the success of the World Cup 2034.
“I was very happy here, and I will take these memories with me for the rest of my life” he says, “But I suffered a very serious injury that prevented me from returning the favor the way I’d like to.”
He explains that he needs “to play again,” and “only a club like Santos can provide the love I need to prepare for the coming challenges of the next few years. All of you, independently of the club you root for, know what I mean,” he adds, referring to the World Cup 2026. “I hope you’re all with me on this next step of my life.”
Santos’ comment on Neymar’s video: “Your home awaits you”
While Santos hasn’t made an official announcement, the club commented on Neymar’s post, writing: “Your home awaits you. Your people await you. My eternal Village Boy!” The forward’s return to Brazil was highly expected, with even Santos’ president, Marcelo Teixeira, urging him to “come back.”
“It is time, Neymar. It is time for you to come back to your people. To our home, to the club in our hearts. Welcome, our boy Ney! A boy of Vila (Belmiro, Santos’ stadium). Come back to be happy again with the white and black shirt. The Santos nation awaits you with open arms,” Teixera wrote in a post on social media on Jan. 29th.
Neymar’s return to the club that made him a star
Neymar broke his contract, by mutual agreement, with Al Hilal, after the star could barely play with the club. After he tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee in October 2023, Neymar was sidelined for over a year.
According to ESPN, by terminating his contract with Al Hilal, Neymar walked away from $65 million. Al Hilal signed the player from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2023 for a fee of $97.6 million, but he only scored one goal and played seven official matches.
Now, Neymar returns to the club which put him in the international map. He played for Santos from 2009 to 2013, scoring 107 goals in 177 appearances. In 2011, he led them to a Copa Libertadores triumph, in which he scored in the second leg of the final, a 2-1 win over Peñarol.
He then was sold to FC Barcelona in 2013 for $80.5 million. There, alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, he was part of the team that won a treble of LaLiga, Champions League and Copa del Rey, before signing with PSG in 2017.