Neymar sparks Santos’ rise to No. 1 in a global ranking amid buzz about Brazil return ahead of 2026 World Cup

After a difficult few initial months, Neymar now appears to be returning to top physical and playing form. That progress has fueled rumors about a potential comeback with the Brazil national team for the FIFA World Cup 2026, while also helping Santos achieve a remarkable milestone.

A recent report by Football Observatory on the performance of the world’s top clubs on social media revealed that Santos had the highest follower growth across official club accounts over the past year.

The Brazilian side recorded an impressive 82% increase in total followers across digital platforms, excluding YouTube. That figure nearly doubled the numbers of their closest competitor in the ranking—Spain’s Valladolid, which posted a 45.1% increase.

Unsurprisingly, Santos’ social media explosion is largely attributed to the arrival of Neymar. The forward joined the club in February from Al Hilal and immediately placed the team under the global spotlight, with millions of fans from around the world now following Santos to watch Ney’s talent on display.

Can Neymar return to the Brazil national team?

Having played the full 90 minutes in each of Santos’ last five Serie A matches—scoring three goals in that span—Neymar seems to be regaining the consistency he hadn’t enjoyed in over two years. That resurgence has reignited discussions about a possible return to the Brazil national team.

Upon taking over as head coach, Carlo Ancelotti made it clear that bringing Neymar back is part of his plans. “I’ve spoken with him. He’s a very important player for our national team, for the World Cup. He needs to prepare well—he has the time to do it,” said the coach in an interview with CONMEBOL’s official website. “I’ve spoken with him about this, that he should prepare properly, because we have the idea that he will become a very important player for the Brazilian national team.”

However, in the months that followed, the forward was sidelined by injuries that kept him out of Brazil’s South American qualifiers. Now, with the next international break set for early September, Neymar appears closer than ever to making his long-awaited return.

Which clubs have the most social media followers?

In the same study that highlighted Santos’ follower growth over the past year, Football Observatory also published a ranking of the world’s most-followed clubs across social media. Unsurprisingly, Real Madrid leads the list with a combined 473.7 million followers across platforms including X, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube.

Second place belongs to Barcelona, with 427.4 million followers. The top ten is rounded out by other European powerhouses such as Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City, Juventus, Liverpool, Chelsea, Bayern Munich, and Arsenal. Outside of Europe, the club with the largest social media following is Brazil’s Flamengo, followed by Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr.