Neymar's move to Santos is the biggest return to Brazilian football since Romario left Barcelona to join Flamengo exactly 30 years ago.
The great Ronaldo de Lima returned home to join Corinthians in 2009, but by then his best days were behind him. Not so with Neymar, despite the former Barcelona forward being older than Ronaldo at the time. And of course, Neymar's injury record is almost as long as Ronaldo's.
Neymar's return to the club he played for from 2009 to 2013 is not a relaxing break or a last chance to say goodbye. It could be seen as a stepping stone to arguably the greatest triumph of his career: helping Brazil win a sixth World Cup next year.
This is the fundamental difference between Neymar's return and Romario's in 1995. The diminutive striker (nicknamed "The Little One" in Portuguese) was just 29 when he returned across the Atlantic, while Romario could confidently return home having won the World Cup and been named FIFA World Player of the Year.
This is the yardstick that will later be used to judge Neymar's career and see that it is far from perfect.
The pursuit of the Ballon d'Or was the biggest factor in Neymar leaving Barcelona to join Paris St Germain. However, his time in France could not be considered a success for Neymar due to many reasons, including a series of injuries.
The Ballon d'Or now seems out of the question, but what about the World Cup? There's still time for one last push for the 32-year-old. With his 33rd birthday just days away, Neymar needs to get serious about football.
In a career that has often been divisive, almost everyone would be delighted to see Neymar return to Santos. The Vila Belmiro stadium is not flashy but it is spacious enough for the Brazilian striker to find inspiration again.
Santos will also be ready to give Neymar every opportunity to rebuild his career. The 32-year-old has the basis to prove that there are still many chapters to be written.
Of course, the most dramatic chapter of all will be the 2026 World Cup. At the start of the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign, Neymar surpassed Pele to become Brazil's all-time leading goal scorer.
Since Neymar's injury, the Selecao have struggled and are currently ranked 5th in the qualifying round. However, with 6 places to play, participating in next year's World Cup is not too difficult for Brazil.
Anything less than the 2026 World Cup would be a failure for Brazil. After 24 years of waiting, they need it. So does Neymar. Coach Dorival Junior has been anxiously awaiting Neymar’s recovery. And will a Santos shirt help the 32-year-old achieve his World Cup dream?
