ESPN
Jan 31, 2025, 12:46 PM ET
A tearful Neymar was welcomed back to his boyhood club Friday by thousands of Santos fans and a concert at the team's home stadium beneath an electronic sign saying, "the prince is back."
The forward signed a contract upon arrival that sources have told ESPN will run for six months.
Around 20,000 Santos fans filled Vila Belmiro Stadium in the rain outside São Paulo to celebrate the return Neymar, 32.
His evening arrival to fireworks capped a three-hour celebration that also featured local singers.
"I am very happy. We lived great moments here. There's still a lot that could come," Neymar said on the pitch. When fans chanted they want to see him dribble again, as he often did in his career, he said, "I will not lack boldness [to dribble]."
Shortly before, he greeted his future teammates and club executives at the Santos training ground.
Neymar's private jet landed in the São Paulo state countryside from Saudi Arabia in the morning, but he requested a few hours of rest before being flown into Santos by helicopter.
Banners reading "the prince is back" were selling for 10 reais ($1.50). Graffitti inspired by artificial intelligence outside the stadium showed Neymar looking more mature and with a crown on his head -- no small feature in a city where Pelé was king for decades until he died in December 2022 at age 82.
A video posted by Santos on social media showed Neymar not wearing the No. 11 that was his during his first spell from 2009 to 2013. He will wear Pelé's famous No. 10 shirt during his second spell at the club.
"It will be an honor to wear this sacred jersey," Neymar said in the video.
Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal announced Monday they had reached an agreement with Neymar to terminate his contract after the Brazil star scored one goal in seven appearances during an injury-marred 18 months.
The former Barcelona star tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee while on international duty shortly after signing for Al Hilal. He returned to the pitch in October, but a hamstring injury prevented him from making a substantial contribution to the club.
Neymar was asked at a news conference when he decided he wanted to return to Santos.
"There are some decisions that go beyond the logic of soccer, and some are impactful," he said. "When I was sure I was coming back, I confess that in January, at the beginning of January, I couldn't imagine coming back to Santos or leaving Al Hilal. I was very happy there, my family was very happy there, I was very adapted and full of desire to play. Things happened and I had to make a decision. I started to feel sad in training, on a day-to-day basis, and it wasn't going very well for me. The opportunity to return came up and I didn't think twice.
"From the first day, I had already decided to come back, I told my father and everything worked out. Everyone is happy. I'm back with renewed energy. Ever since I set foot here I feel like I'm 17 again. I'm very happy, excited and very keen to play."
Neymar began his professional career with Santos in 2009 and developed into one of the brightest young talents in world football as he inspired them to a Copa Libertadores triumph in 2011.
He has earned 128 caps for Brazil, scoring a Selecao-record 79 goals -- two more than Pelé. Neymar was part of the Brazil side that won the gold medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics, which was held in Rio de Janeiro.
Information from the Associated Press, Reuters and ESPN Brasil contributed to this report
