Neymar‘s return to boyhood club Santos has been confirmed, with the Brazilian side sharing an emotional video – dedicated to Pele – to announce his signing.
The forward, who was earning £130million-a-year with Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia, travelled to his homeland on Friday to finalise the agreement and sensational return.
It was at Santos where Neymar first captivated footballing audiences at the start of his career, bursting onto the scene as the next superstar to arise from Brazilian shores.
After helping guide the club to a Copa Libertadores title in 2011, he departed Santos in 2013 to pursue a career at Barcelona and over the summer spoke of his desire to return one day.
That day has arrived at long last after Al-Hilal terminated his, with the 32-year-old having played just seven games for the club since joining in August 2023 due to an ACL injury, scoring one goal.
The 32-year-old has agreed to a six-month contract with Santos, aiming to rejuvenate his career and secure a spot in Brazil’s squad for the 2026 World Cup, and Santos took to social media to confirm the news with a 79-second video.
Neymar’s return to Santos has been confirmed in an emotional video shared to social media
The video was dedicated to Pele (left) – the Brazilian great and Neymar formed a strong relationship
Neymar’s £130million-a-year with Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia was terminated after he played just seven games
In the video, Neymar could be heard speaking in Portuguese, with English subtitles added at the bottom of the video.
He began, as a throne with Pele’s name on and an eternal symbol was shown: ‘Hey, King! I miss you so much!
‘I was a little boy when I arrived here full of dreams. Vila Belmiro took me in, and that’s where I grew up and I was happy. Santos revealed me to the world, but my heart never stopped being white and black.
‘I remember everything I experienced with you all. Every moment. A vivid, happy and eternal memory. A memory I don’t just want to remember, I want to live it again. And I want to live with you again, as it always was.
‘King Pele, your wish is my command. The thrown and the crown, they are still yours. Because you are eternal. But the number 10…
‘It will be an honour to wear the sacred jersey that represents so much for Santos and the world.
‘I promise to do everything I can to keep honouring your legacy, King. “I’m going but I’ll be back”, remember? Well… the prince is back.
As the video played, older clips of Neymar playing for…