Santos mark one year since Neymar’s official return unveiling | OneFootball

Santos celebrated an important date this Saturday: a year ago, the idol Neymar was presented and officially announced his return to the team that discovered him. There was a big party at Vila Belmiro on that January 31, 2025. More than 10,000 people were present at the stadium to witness the return of the forward, who cried a lot when he took the stage.

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“A very special day for me. I am very happy. When I was a boy, I stepped onto the Vila with this band. I had to come back like this. I am happy. We have a lot to live for. I have a lot of love and affection for this club. Dedication will not be lacking. My children are here, my wife, parents, my best friends, and the most special fans in the world. Thank you to everyone who is part of this moment,” the star declared on the occasion, emotionally.

After the speech, he took a lap of honor and kicked some balls to the fans. Neymar returned to Peixe to take on the number 10 jersey, which had been retired throughout the 2024 Série B of the Brazilian Championship.

Remember the celebration

The party featured performances by Mano Brown, Projota, Supla, MC Bin, MC WM, and others. All the artists who took the stage are fans of Peixe. Former players Ricardo Oliveira, Madson, and Wesley, as well as the club's Eternal Idols, were also at the event.

Through a video, shown on the Vila's big screens, athletes like Luis Suárez, Iniesta, Rodrygo (who was highly celebrated by the fans), Vinicius Jr., Piqué, Buffon, Ângelo, Emerson Palmieri, Léo Baptistão, Marta, and Falcão sent a message to Neymar.

Before returning to Santos, Neymar was at Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia but terminated his contract as he was not performing well, especially due to injuries, which also affected him in this first year at Peixe. Even so, he was decisive in the final games of the Brasileirão to help the club avoid another relegation in the national competition.

In 2025, Neymar played 28 matches for Santos, scoring 11 goals and providing 4 assists. As he underwent knee surgery at the turn of the year, he has not yet debuted in the 2026 season, which will be crucial for the player to fight for a spot in the World Cup with the Brazilian National Team.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.