Neymar return to Santos confirmed by club chief

Neymar will return to his boyhood club Santos, the team's president announced on Tuesday, a day after he ended his disappointing 17-month stay with Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal.

Neymar, 32, won six titles with his boyhood club Santos, including a Copa Libertadores trophy in 2011. He will return to the club after a frustrating spell at Al Hilal, where he played only seven matches and scored once.

"It is the time [to come back], Neymar. It is time for you to come back to your people. To our home, to the club in our hearts," Santos president Marcelo Teixeira said in a social media post.

"Welcome, our boy Ney! A boy of Vila [Belmiro, Santos' stadium]. Come back to be happy again with the white and black shirt. The Santos nation awaits you with open arms."

Neymar spent much of his time in Saudi Arabia on the sidelines due to an ACL injury he picked playing for Brazil in October 2023.

ESPN reported on Sunday that Neymar was nearing a return to his native Brazil. He had been linked with a transfer to the Chicago Fire, but sources told ESPN his preference was always to rejoin Santos over a move to Major League Soccer.

Since leaving Santos for Barcelona in 2013, Neymar established himself as one of the sport's biggest stars. His move to the Camp Nou saw him team up with Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez to form a feared frontline that came to be known as "MSN."

That partnership resulted in a Champions League crown, two LaLiga titles and three Copa del Reys during his four years at Barcelona. In 2017, he made made a stunning move to Paris Saint-Germain for a world-record fee of around €222 million ($231m).

While the club had little difficulty in earning success on the domestic front, Neymar and his fellow stars -- that later included Messi and Kylian Mbappé -- failed to win the Champions League, coming closest in 2020 when they were beaten by Bayern Munich in the final.