He's back! Neymar plays first match for Santos

This winter, Neymar left Al-Hilal and decided to return to his boyhood club, Santos. In the early hours of Thursday, February 6, he played his first match since coming back.

Details: In the seventh round of the Paulista championship, Santos hosted Botafogo-SP. Neymar was included in the squad but started on the bench. His long-awaited return happened at the beginning of the second half—he came onto the pitch in the 46th minute, playing his first 45 minutes for Santos since rejoining the club.

However, he couldn’t help his team secure a win, as the match ended in a 1-1 draw. After seven rounds, Santos currently sits eighth in the Western Conference of the Paulista championship.

Quote: “No matter how disappointing the result, today was a special day. Thank you all for your love and for supporting us until the very end. Now, more than ever, we need our fans' support… because with you, we are stronger!

I am very happy and excited to be back, and I will give my all, as always, to bring Santos back where it belongs—at the top! Let’s go, team, let’s go, nation… together, we are unstoppable! BELIEVE IN IT!” Neymar wrote after the match.

Reminder: Earlier reports suggested that Neymar will sign a six-month contract with Santos before planning a return to Europe.