Sports
Neymar Marks Return to Santos with First Goal in 16 Months
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Neymar scores his first goal since returning to Santos, leading the team to a 3-1 victory over Água Santa in the Paulista Championship.
Neymar netted his inaugural goal for Santos following his return to Brazil by successfully converting a penalty in Sunday’s 3-1 victory against São Paulo-based Água Santa.
Scoring from the penalty spot in the 14th minute of the São Paulo state championship match will offer some relief to the 33-year-old star following a challenging return.
Thaciano scored in the 26th minute, and Guilherme added another goal for Santos in the 70th minute with an assist from Neymar.
Neymar has yet to complete a full 90-minute match for Santos. His initial performances in the first three games were below expectations, but he demonstrated some improvement on Sunday as he continues recovering from a knee injury.
In October, Neymar made his official comeback to soccer after being sidelined for a full year.
He revealed last month that his contract with the Saudi club Al-Hilal was terminated by mutual agreement. His time at Al-Hilal was marked by injuries, during which he participated in only seven matches and scored one goal.
Neymar has signed a six-month contract with Santos, and he mentioned that there is potential for an extension in the future.
During his initial professional tenure with Santos from 2009 to 2013, he netted 138 goals across 225 official games. The Brazilian set a record as the most expensive player in soccer history when he moved from Barcelona to PSG for €222 million (approximately $262 million) in 2017. In 2023, he transferred to Al-Hilal for €90 million ($94 million).