“Listen to your heart! Come back home, to your city, to your people!” – those words, in the voice of the late Edson Arentes do Nascimento, known to be world as Pelé. Santos FC posted a video on their social media featuring Neymar Junior, accompanied by the AI-generated voice of Pelé, inviting the 32-year-old star to return to Vila Belmiro.
At 19, Neymar impressed in the 2011 FIFA Club World Cup final against a star-studded FC Barcelona side. The match was portrayed as a showdown between an already global star, Lionel Messi, and the Santos FC forward nearly five years his junior. Later, Neymar would be Messi’s teammate at both Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).
When he left Santos for Barcelona in 2013, Neymar had already scored 136 goals in 225 appearances for the Alvinegros, along with 64 assists, including a FIFA Puskás Award in 2011 for his stunning solo effort against Flamengo. He also finished in the top 10 in the Ballon d’Or rankings that year. The 21-year-old from São Paulo arrived in Europe with the potential to be one of the greatest of his generation.
Neymar’s arrival at Barcelona sparked widespread interest, and anyone searching for ‘Neymar Jr.’ on YouTube would find not only breathtaking goals but also compilations of his dazzling dribbles, rainbow flicks, and solo runs – glimpses of ‘Jogo Bonito,’ the Brazilian philosophy of playing beautiful football. After Ronaldinho and his brilliance with the ball, Neymar fitted seamlessly into the definition of Brazilian flair. In an era dominated by European tactical football, Neymar’s Brazilian spark was a reminder that football can also be played with joy, flair, and fearless creativity, preserving the spirit of Jogo Bonito amidst the rigidity of structured systems.
His time in Barcelona alongside Messi and Luis Suárez – the trio famously known as MSN – formed one of football’s most devastating attacking forces. Combining skill and sheer brilliance with strong chemistry, they powered Barcelona to 322 wins across 451 games, scoring 363 goals and providing 272 assists, with a goal every 111 minutes and a direct goal contribution every 62.7 minutes. Their dominance peaked in the 2014-15 season, culminating in a historic treble, seven trophies, and a legacy of attacking football at its finest.
One of the most dramatic comebacks in club football came in March 2017 when Barcelona defeated PSG 6-1 in a Champions League return leg. Neymar played a crucial role that unforgettable night. However, the following season, Barcelona’s number 11 made the record-breaking move to PSG for a €222 million fee, a sum still unmatched. Multiple reports of that time suggested that Neymar was ‘unhappy’ playing in Messi’s shadow at Barcelona and sought to become the main star elsewhere.
It was during his time at PSG that Neymar’s form began to dip. He became more a commercial product than a player. According to Guillem Balague, the BBC’s Spanish football expert, “His love for the game was taken away from him in Paris, and he became an industry.” Neymar’s contract with PSG allowed him to engage in commercial commitments as he saw fit, leaving his training schedule more flexible. Fans who follow the Brazilian star on social media are well aware of his love for online gaming, and being on the PlayStation until the early morning – something he started during his PSG days.
Neymar’s tenure at PSG did not yield the anticipated success, with the club failing to win the UEFA Champions League – their best achievement was a runner-up finish to Bayern Munich in 2020. When his former teammate, Messi, joined PSG, and with Kylian Mbappé also in the squad, Neymar’s role became increasingly complicated. Finally, in August 2023, he moved to the Middle East, joining Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal on a €150 million annual deal, six times his salary at PSG. However, his stint in Saudi Arabia was plagued by injuries, with Neymar featuring in only 7 games.
Although he surpassed Pelé to become Brazil’s all-time top scorer with 79 goals, Neymar’s international career would have been even more remarkable were it not for persistent injuries. He led Brazil to their first and only Olympic gold at Rio 2016 but missed out on a Copa América winner’s medal after withdrawing before the tournament began in 2019.
Now, as he returns to his boyhood club, it could mark the beginning of a new chapter in Neymar’s career. A fresh start, an opportunity to relaunch his storied career, which still holds many untold tales. With Messi winning the World Cup in Qatar after years of near-misses, it may be an omen for Neymar as well, come FIFA World Cup 2026.
Eu vou, mas eu volto. #ThePrinceIsBack pic.twitter.com/2uTxDgYk1M
— Santos FC (@SantosFC) January 31, 2025
“I’ll let you use my throne and wear my crown,” said Pelé’s voice. “Put on a show in Vila Belmiro again. And be ready to bring us that sixth cup. This time, he’ll be donning the number 10 shirt, once worn by the great, Pelé.
“Remember what you promised? ‘I’m going, but I’ll be back.’”
His career may have taken a downward turn, but sometimes, all it takes is a fresh start. The soil of Vila Belmiro shaped him into the artist he became and, perhaps, returning to his old canvas will allow him to finally complete his unfinished masterpiece.
