Santos Wants Neymar To Stay Until 2026 World Cup

Santos president Marcelo Teixeira is confident Neymar will remain at the club at least until the 2026 World Cup despite his interest in returning to Europe this summer.

Neymar returned to his boyhood club on Jan. 31 after 12 years away and was unveiled in a lavish ceremony.

The Brazil international has signed a contract with Santos for six months after terminating his deal with Al Hilal, but sources have told ESPN that he plans to listen to offers from Europe in the middle of this year.

Teixeira, however, has said his “Neymar project” has the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain star staying at the club in the long term.

He told TV Globo: “We intend for him to participate so the club can achieve results in the six-month project, with the prospect of him staying until the World Cup. The whole project is to make this happen.

“It is important for him to re-emerge as a great player at home, aiming for the World Cup.”

Teixeira, meanwhile, spoke of how the club wants to make the most of Neymar’s arrival and revamp its marketing. Santos are considering reissuing the light blue shirt immortalised by Neymar in the 2012 season.

“We have already started producing the possibility of a third uniform and changed the colour,” Teixeira said. “The idea is for it to be blue, something natural for it to happen so that we can carry out the project of Neymar’s arrival, which involves a lot of responsibility, to sustain the project.

“Neymar at Santos is an identity that cannot be rejected. If he were to start over at another club, I believe it would be more difficult to reach the brand of a club in Brazil and the world, of Santos’ potential, with Neymar. This is a perfect marriage that has everything to work out.”

Neymar, who has not played since sustaining a hamstring injury with former club Al Hilal in November, could suit up for Santos on his 33rd birthday on Wednesday at home to Botafogo.