By Matheus Trunk
The attacker Neymar33 years old, will be an athlete in the Santos until the end of 2026. The club posted the long-awaited renewal on its official X account (formerly Twitter). The number 10’s main project is to compete for the 2026 World Cup. Neymar was essential in avoiding a second relegation for the Baixada team last year, as he played injured in Santos’ last three rounds of the Brasileirão. He scored four goals. The highlight was the rout against Juventude in which he scored a hat-trick in a 3-0 victory. The Argentine coach Juan Pablo Vojvoda expects the striker to be one of the leaders of the Santos squad for the season.
In principle, the new contract would only last for another six months. But the Santos directors managed to convince Neymar and his staff to sign for an entire season, from January until December. The complete number 10 shirt 34 years on February 5th.
Revealed in its own base divisions SantosNeymar made a mark in his first spell at Vila Belmiro. He led the black and white squad to win the 2011 Libertadores da América against Peñarol, from Uruguay. Santos had not achieved a continental feat since 1963, with Skin.
Almost the “best in the world”
In 2013, his successful international career began. The then young man of 21 years transferred to the Barcelonafrom Spain. It was a million-dollar and controversial transaction worth 57 million euros (R$368.9 million). There were countless achievements in a fantastic team, alongside stars like Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez. One of the most emblematic moments was the 2015 Champions League title and two Spanish Championships. Neymar was tipped to be voted best player in the world, following in the footsteps of other Brazilians awarded by FIFA, such as Ronaldo and Romário. But that never happened.
O Paris Saint-Germainfrom France, was his new home from 2017. The figures from this transfer shook the football world: 222 million euros (R$812 million). This is still considered the most expensive negotiation in history. In the Parisian team, Neymar achieved numerous national achievements and good individual numbers. But he never ingratiated himself with Paris fans nor gave the club its biggest goal: the Champions League.
Return to Santos
Neymar had a brief spell at Al-Hilal of Saudi Arabia who lasted just seven games due to numerous injuries. He was a fiasco at the Saudi club. At the beginning of 2025, however, he returned to Santos and made his debut against Botafogo, from Ribeirão Preto, in a match valid for the Campeonato Paulista on February 5th. The game ended 1-1.
In Vila again, Neymar suffered four injuries in 2025 and played in the last rounds of the Brazilian Championship in sacrifice. There were 30 matches, eleven goals and four assists. He was the team’s second top scorer this season. But he was always below what was expected of him upon his return to Santos. The club owes him R$85 million.
