Neymar’s return to his boyhood club has not been a success, no matter how you slice it. He was given a rapturous welcome at his homecoming ceremony at Vila Belmiro in January 2025, after a disastrous spell in Saudi Arabia with Al-Hilal, but has contributed just 14 goals and a measly four assists in 29 Brazilian Serie A appearances, and he’s missed a total of 36 games in all competitions due to a combination of injuries and load management.
Santos may not have avoided the drop last season had it not been for Neymar’s late surge, which included a stunning hat-trick against Juventude, but they have arguably gone backwards as a collective since re-signing the ex-Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain superstar, and ugly clashes with the club’s fanbase have become a regular occurrence. There is a real danger that Santos won’t be so lucky this time around and tensions boil over again, as they currently sit 15th in the Serie A table, only above the relegation zone on goal difference.
Neymar is finally back to an acceptable level of fitness, but Santos still have to be careful not to overuse him, and he’s only sporadically making a meaningful impact on matches. More often than not, Neymar gets in the news because of his immature behaviour instead of his performances, and it’s a distraction from the serious work that needs to be done for the Peixe to start climbing the table.
