“Left as a boy, returns as a star”: Neymar Jr shines on his comeback debut with his Santos FC
- Anweshan Ghosh
- Feb 8
- 2 min read
On Wednesday, Neymar stepped back into the field at the Urbano Caldeira Stadium as the crowd cheered and hyped the boy who left 12 years ago to return a superstar.
The 33-year-old made his first appearance after returning to his childhood club Santos, where he began his journey 12 years ago, as he was brought on a substitute in the second half against Botafogo.
Neymar looked confident on the ball, with his footwork looking as magical as ever. He even got several chances to get his name on the scoresheet, but the Botafogo keeper was sharp.
Overall, it was a decent return for the recently turned 33-year-old, which has left the fans waiting to watch Ney's upcoming performances as well.
Neymar is focusing on his game, keen on preparing for the 2026 World Cup
Neymar appeared quite emotional after making a long-awaited comeback.
The 33-year-old was overflowing with emotions on being able to be back on the pitch again as Brazil’s all-time top scorer also expressed his gratitude to his boyhood club for showing him immense support.
Neymar understands that playing regular football is all that he needs to make a comeback to the Brazil national team after his exclusion from the squad since October 2023.
Prolonged injuries, especially the ACL injury in 2023, have given him a lot of trouble recently, which also sabotaged his entire time at Al-Hilal.
After signing for the Saudi giants for a record fee of €90 million, he made just seven appearances in a span of almost 2 years, leading to a premature termination of his contract with Al-Hilal.
Neymar is reportedly determined to be patient and focus on his natural game at Santos FC as he aims to play in the FIFA World Cup hosted by the USA, Mexico, and Canada next year.
After the Botafogo game, Neymar expressed his emotions while talking about his future as well.
Speaking to Reuters, the star Brazilian said, “I can’t find the words to express the feeling when you love something. I love Santos very much, and I can’t find the words to describe the feeling I felt when I stepped out onto the pitch today.” (sic)
He further added, “It was a very difficult game. I had even commented that my father was there on the side. I said, it’s a difficult game; they’re marking a lot at the back; they’re a team that defends a lot; a lot of hitting. And they found a ball and scored. I think it’s time for me to be patient and get some practice.” (sic)
Comments