“I’m going away… but I’ll be back” The prophecy has been fulfilled. The “prince of Vila Belmiro” has returned home. After twelve years, Neymar is back at Santos Futebol Clube. One of the most famous names in world football has stirred the streets with his return to Brazilian soccer.
Neymar´s beginning – Menino da VIla
Neymar began his football career as a child. His first official match was on March 5th, 2009, for Santos, where he began making history at just 17 years old. Although he didn’t score in his debut, it didn’t take long for him to find the back of the net. On the 15th of that same month, Neymar scored his first goal against Mogi Mirim at Pacaembu.
In just over four years at Santos, Neymar played 225 matches, scored 136 goals, and became the club’s top scorer after Pelé. He also lifted trophies. He won three São Paulo championships (2010, 2011, and 2012), one Copa do Brasil (2010), one Conmebol Libertadores (2011), and one Recopa Sudamericana (2012).
In the 2009 Paulista Championship, Santos finished as runners-up, and Neymar was named the competition’s revelation. He stayed at Santos until mid-2013, when he transferred to Barcelona, where he created history alongside Messi and Luis Suárez in the memorable “MSN trio.”
After Barcelona, Neymar went on to play for Paris Saint Germain, but he suffered many injuries and didn’t live up to expectations at the French club. After six seasons, when he played alongside Mbappe and Messi, the Brazilian ended up leaving France to play for Al-Hilal. Due to injuries, Neymar only managed to play seven games for Al-Hilal until January 2025, when he terminated his contract and returned to Santos.
On his comeback, players around the world congratulated him, rivals said they would not see a problem if the player scored against their teams and he could see and play against long time friends, like Memphis Depay.
What about Vila Belmiro?
After Neymar left, Santos experienced fewer successes. In 2015 and 2016, the club lifted the Campeonato Paulista trophy. In 2019, it was the Brazilian runner-up after finishing the Brasileirão behind Flamengo. In the 2020 edition of Libertadores, which only ended in 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Santos lost the final to Palmeiras at Maracanã.
Furthermore, Santos faced its worst scenario in December 2023. For the first time, the club was relegated to Série B of the Brazilian Championship after losing to Fortaleza at home. After that, the club won the competition and returned to the top.
Talking about numbers, in the Santos x Botafogo game – the Menino da Vila’s debut match – Santos achieved its biggest profit of the season so far. With an audience of 15,377 fans, the club obtained an income of R$696,554.45 and a net profit of R$363,530.92. Until now, Neymar played seven games, with three goals and three assists.
Nostalgia season
“Not only can it, but it already is changing!” Santos fan Rafaela Belga, 22, said about Neymar’s return to Brazil. “Santos’ position in the market, with sponsors, on the field. Having Neymar at the club brings a lot of responsibility and attention, so there is no alternative but to change.”
In her point of view, Neymar’s impact goes beyond his skill on the field. “His first stint at Santos placed him in the position of an idol from the very beginning, especially considering the titles won after so many years without anything.”
Rafaela also states that Neymar was positioned as a prince by the Santos fans from the start, always in a way that respected the unique position of King Pelé. For younger fans, who may not have lived through the great achievements of the Neymar era, the player’s return represents the chance to relive the best moments of a winning Santos. For older fans, however, there is a more nostalgic perspective, with a desire to see the club return to being a protagonist on the national and international stage.
Since nostalgia is part of this story, there is a new opportunity for Neymar to wear the Brazilian National Team shirt. This Thursday, 06, coach Dorival Júnior announced the list of players called up to defend the Brazilian national team in the duels against Colombia and Argentina, for the World Cup Qualifiers, on March 20 and 25. Neymar is called up again.
“I feel very happy, very happy to be returning to the national team, and even more so as a Santos player. I think things are going in the right direction. It’s great!”, said Neymar to the official Santos website after the announcement of the call-up.
The Neymar Effect
At the global level, in one month in Brazil, Neymar showed his power beyond the four lines. The “Neymar effect” and the #NeyDay took over social media everywhere. The club gained many followers on social media, updated its membership program, renovated the stadium’s locker room, and gained more visibility in the media.
Now, the Alvinegro currently has 7.4 million followers on Instagram and has surpassed rivals Palmeiras and São Paulo. Combining Instagram and TikTok, the club grew by 85%, surpassing the total gain of all clubs in the country last year, according to Ibope Repucom. A result eight times greater than that of Santos itself in 2024.
In addition, the famous blue uniform line produced by Nike, which marked generations of Santos fans in 2012/13, will be relaunched by Umbro, the current sponsor of the team from Baixada Santista.
Until now, we know that the future of Neymar is uncertain – because football it’s like this. But we know that his returns to his home moved more than we expected. At 33 years old, Neymar may have even changed, but to the football lovers he’ll continue to be that kid with a mohawk.
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The article above was edited by Fernanda Miki Tsukase.
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