Neymar’s return to Santos was supposed to be a homecoming. The club had just suffered relegation for the first time in its history. Neymar hadn’t looked right in years—a string of injuries threatening to end his career before he could write the final chapter himself. Both sides needed each other. Over the past month, that need has turned into something real.

The turning point came away at Juventude. Neymar scored all three goals in a 3-0 win, finding the net in the 56th, 65th, and 73rd minutes—while playing through a meniscus problem in his left knee. His body has been a constant worry, and he’ll likely need arthroscopic surgery once the season ends. But the output has been undeniable. Five goals and an assist across his last three league matches. Seven points from nine. Santos climbed above the relegation line with one game left to play. Weeks ago, that looked impossible.

His influence goes beyond the goals. Neymar changes how Santos control matches, how they move the ball in the final third. He brings a technical sharpness and calm the squad has lacked during all the chaos. The club still needs structural rebuilding, but Neymar has given them a chance to end the year standing.

What happens next

Now comes the harder question: what’s next?

His Santos contract runs through 2025, with an option into the World Cup year. The club says they’re building around him—but they’ve also said the money doesn’t quite work yet. They want him. The question is whether they can afford him.

Then there’s Europe. Reports have linked him with Serie A—Inter Milan and Napoli floated as possibilities if he’s available on a free in late 2025. A move like that would put him on a bigger stage before the World Cup. Whether any club takes the risk depends on his knee and how the next year goes.

Interest from MLS? More theoretical than real. Neymar has talked about the appeal of playing with Messi in Miami, but recent reporting says Inter Miami isn’t pursuing him. They’re focused on younger attackers and defensive depth after losing key veterans. An MLS move looks more like a post-World Cup scenario—if it happens at all.

The World Cup is the wildcard. Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti has said he’ll only select fully fit players. Neymar hasn’t suited up for the national team since tearing his ACL in 2023, and recovery from a meniscus procedure could leave him scrambling to prove himself in time. His Santos run shows he can still take over matches. But staying healthy long enough to earn a World Cup spot is a different challenge.

Neymar’s career has never followed a script. His return to Santos looked like nostalgia at first—a feel-good story with no real stakes. It’s become something else. He’s kept the club in the top flight. He’s reminded everyone that when healthy, he can still bend a match to his will.

What comes next depends on his body. And on what he decides he wants from the final years of his playing life: finish the job at Santos, chase one more European chapter, or hold out for that World Cup stage.

Two questions will define the next twelve months. Can he give Santos stability instead of drama? And can he put himself back in contention for the tournament that would cap the career of one of Brazil’s most talented players ever? The answers will determine whether he stays home, goes back to Europe, or eventually heads to the States.