Neymar‘s move to Santos is the biggest return to Brazilian football since Romário left Barcelona to join Flamengo exactly 30 years ago.
The great Ronaldo did come back home to join Corinthians in 2009, but at that stage it was already understood that his best days were behind him, and that any star-studded displays would be an added bonus. This is not the case with Neymar — although he is slightly older than Ronaldo was at the time (he turns 33 on Feb. 5) and his injury record is almost as bad as that of Ronaldo.
Neymar’s return to the club he played for between 2009-13 is no gentle retirement tour, some final chance to say farewell. It can be seen as a platform for what would be the greatest triumph of his controversial career: helping Brazil to an elusive sixth World Cup win next year.
This is the essential difference between Neymar’s return and that of Romário in 1995. The diminutive striker (nicknamed “The Little One” in Portuguese) was only turning 29 when he came back across the Atlantic — and he could swagger into town having won the first World Cup in the USA and been voted as FIFA World Player of the Year. He had climbed the twin peaks.
These have been the measuring sticks by which the career of Neymar has always been judged — and found to have fallen short.
Pursuit of the Ballon d’Or was the biggest factor in his leaving Barcelona to join Paris Saint-Germain. It may even be seen as a noble quest, but although it had its moments, his time in France cannot be seen as a success, especially in the sense that playing in such a physical league exposed him to so many injuries.
The Ballon d’Or would now appear to be an impossibility, but the World Cup? There’s time for one last attempt.
The tournament has been cruel to Neymar. Ruled out of his first World Cup by a brutal injury, undermined in the second by a long injury layoff, suffering an injury in the third but coming back to score a wonder goal against Croatia, only to watch the side concede an unlucky last-gasp equaliser and crash out on penalties — surely he is due some luck in 2026.
But he has to get himself back into rhythm if he is to rise to the challenge on the world’s biggest stage.
Neymar recently talked himself into a social media spat with 2002 World Cup hero Rivaldo. He was doing a podcast with Romário, and was asked whose place he would have taken in previous Brazil teams. Centre-forward Tostão was his answer for 1970, central midfielder Dunga for 1994 and Rivaldo in the 2002 side. It was a tough choice, seeing as this team featured an on-fire Ronaldo and an up-and-coming Ronaldinho.
But Rivaldo was far from pleased with his option, and the two stars tussled online about hypothetical events from 23 years ago. One comment that was frequently made was that the pair have something in common: they are both ex-footballers.
It is this perception that Neymar now has to change — and in this quest, his return to Santos now represents both a victory and a defeat.
It is a defeat in the terms that the player himself established. He was adamant that he was going to play the Club World Cup for Al Hilal in June and July. This competition, it was understood, would serve as a giant billboard announcing his continued status as one of the best players around. And then, with his contract with the Saudi club at an end, he would be free to make his move to Santos or wherever else he wanted.
These plans were dashed in mid-January when Jorge Jesus, Al Hilal’s Portuguese coach, announced that the club would not even register Neymar for the Saudi league. They had ten slots for foreign players and had ten foreigners in better physical condition than Neymar — who, according to the coach, was not able to match the rhythm of the others in training.
At this point, days away from his 33rd birthday, Neymar as a player is an unknown quantity.
He suffered his latest serious injury playing for Brazil in World Cup qualification on Oct. 17, 2023. He made his comeback for Al Hilal a year and four days later, but on Nov. 4, he broke down again with — predictably after so long out of action — a muscular problem. It would seem, then, that Al Hilal are doubting his capacity to tip the balance at the highest level.
But if that is a defeat, then rejoining Santos is a victory — for two reasons.
The first is that the move is fabulous public relations. In a career that has so often divided opinions, almost everyone will be happy to see him in the white shirt of Santos, playing in their tight-but-historic Vila Belmiro stadium in view of the Pelé mausoleum.
Santos is, frankly, a footballing miracle. It is a port city of less than half a million — small by Brazilian standards — while all the other major Brazilian clubs are from the giant state capitals. Santos, on a good day, is an hour’s drive down the hill from the sprawling metropolis of São Paulo. And yet this little city produced a team, based around Pelé, that in the late 1950s and through the 1960s had a genuine claim to be considered the best in the world. Santos is a national treasure and a global icon.
The tradition was renewed in the 21st century with successive generations of wonderful youth products. Neymar, of course, is the leading graduate, and his feat in carrying Santos to the Copa Libertadores in 2011 may even rank as the high point of his career — so far, at least. And now, after a traumatic relegation, Santos return to Brazil’s first division. Even many who have jeered Neymar in the past will be delighted if he can do something to restore Santos to something of their former glory.
And the second reason is that Santos will give him every opportunity to do just that. This is not Al Hilal, with a squad so deep they can afford to leave out a famous name. Assuming that he is anywhere near fit, Neymar will be the first name on the Santos team sheet. He will have every opportunity to show that there are more chapters to be written.
The most dramatic of all those chapters, of course, is the one about the 2026 World Cup. At the start of the current World Cup qualification campaign, Neymar overtook Pelé to become Brazil’s all-time top goal scorer. Since his injury, Brazil have struggled badly without him. With two thirds of the campaign played, Brazil sit fifth in the CONMEBOL table. In any previous World Cup, there would be genuine doubts about their ability to qualify. With South America having six automatic slots in the newly enlarged tournament, there would seem to be no doubt that Brazil will be there next year.
But Brazil cannot go just to make up the numbers. Anything less than winning the tournament is considered a failure. After 24 years without a win, Brazil need it. Neymar needs it, too. Coach Dorival Júnior has been anxiously waiting for his recovery and there is a Neymar-shaped hole in the Brazil team. Can Neymar fill it? It is the most intriguing question of this fascinating and romantic return to Santos.