Al Hilal agreed to terminate Neymar’s contract on Monday, as the Brazilian will be returning to his boyhood club Santos according to the Associated Press. His future has been up in the air over the past few months as his time in Saudi Arabia became rife with injury and inconsistency.
Many hinted at and discussed a potential move to join former teammates Luis Suárez and Lionel Messi at Inter Miami, hoping to recreate MSN in the MLS. Some reports suggested he may sign for Chicago Fire, which would have been wild. Despite how badly fans and stockholders wanted it to happen, Neymar is bound for South America.
The decision to return home is a big one at this stage of the 32 year-old’s career. But I believe the Santos homecoming is the best case scenario for all involved, and even some not.
Good for Neymar
Between his first stint at Santos and Barcelona, Neymar’s confidently skillful style of play helped him quickly become one of the best players in the world. His potential earned him a place in discussions with Messi and Ronaldo.
I posted this on Facebook in 2012 and at the time it wasn’t considered that crazy of a question. In the time since then, his stock hasn’t exactly skyrocketed. The last time his form and success were at the world class level many expected of him was his spell at Barcelona, and at this point 2017 feels like an entire forever ago.
His six years at PSG brought a decent amount of success, but the lack of a Champions League trophy casts an unavoidable shadow. Likewise, he’s only played for Al Hilal seven times since joining in August 2023. MLS or Europe felt like the only potential avenues back.
Coming back to Brazil in general, and Santos specifically, is laying the groundwork for a new Neymar narrative at the perfect time.
He is turning down more money from the other two options to come back to a club where there is mutual respect. He will play consistently in an environment that will bring equal parts support and expectation. With all of this, he can earn back the full confidence of Brazilian fans just in time for World Cup 2026, which he has claimed will be his last.
Good for Al Hilal
The agreement to terminate the Al Hilal contract included Neymar forgoing the rest of his salary, which ESPN reports could be up to $30 million. Relieving that big a chunk of the payroll for a player with so few appearances feels like common sense, especially when the rest of the squad has already brought so much success.
Al-Hilal were one of the most involved clubs during the big wave of Saudi Pro League signings in 2023, having landed eight players from across six different European leagues. Since then the club has won four trophies, and currently sit top of the SPL table with half the season to go.
They have proven that there is enough of a structural foundation within the squad built without Neymar, and having extra salary money can help fill whatever cracks may show. Not that the big Saudi clubs are necessarily hurting for money, but it’s always nice to recoup when you can.
Good for Santos
This transfer is equally perfect timing for Santos, for a slew of reasons that all seem to fit perfectly together.
Santos is one of the biggest clubs in Brazil, sharing the state of São Paulo with rivals Corinthians, Palmeiras, and São Paulo FC. SPFC and Corinthians have made big splashes over the past year, signing Oscar and Memphis Depay respectively. Meanwhile, Palmeiras have collected six trophies over the last four years, more than any of the rest.
Santos, meanwhile, just came back up to the top division in Brazil after being relegated to the second division for last season. This signing not only makes a big splash but also immediately puts Santos in the mix to compete with two months before the season starts.
This isn’t any old big name signing either. This is Neymar, a living legend for the club who has risen from their academy to heights not seen since Pelé. He put the club on the world stage with his Puskas winning goal against Flamengo in 2011 – beating that Wayne Rooney bicycle kick – and has repped his loyalty for them from the day he left.
It’s a reunion made in Vila Belmiro heaven. Neymar hasn’t yet reached the heights Pelé has, and I’m doubtful he will. But Neymar did surpass the legend as the Brazil men’s national team all-time leading goalscorer, and now he’s coming back to Santos. That might just be enough parallels for me.
Good for Brazil
The Brazil men’s national team has been in an awkward position over the past decade, struggling to establish a clear identity on the international stage.
After the humiliating exit from the 2014 World Cup, the Seleção, led by Neymar, won their very first Olympic goal in men’s soccer to redeem themselves on home soil. However, Brazil has petered out of most international tournaments since, winning only the 2019 Copa America, and currently stumbling through qualifying for 2026.
A roulette of coaches and a squad that could never find the right balance of the quadrants young, experienced, playing in Brazil, and playing in Europe. Far too many times the squad featured too many of one and not enough of the others, or not the right players for each intersection of categories.
It has been a while since such a major player of the national team played in Brazil. A lot of clubs in top leagues across Europe have scouts that scour the country in hopes of the next Neymar. For enough of those players, it’s a way out, a way to support your family, and a way to make it to the biggest stage.
Neymar provides a cautionary tale for that avenue. His journey shows how important it is to make the right decision at every turn, on and off the pitch, if you want to truly climb to the top.
Returning home sets up a new chapter, showing the young players how you can rebuild your identity by reconnecting with your roots. It may even give some players a second thought when scouts come knocking.
In a more tangible, short term lens, Neymar and Brazil fans now have just enough of a runway to fix their dysfunctional relationship before the 2026 World Cup. The weight of this nation’s future on the stage it worships have been on his shoulders since he was a teenager. This move gives him his best chance to fulfill his prophecy.
