Neymar‘s highly anticipated return to Santos in February brought excitement and hope to fans of his boyhood club. But both the team’s performance and his individual impact have fallen short of expectations. Now, as Santos flirts with relegation, Neymar has hit an unwanted milestone in the Brasileirao.
Following back-to-back losses, Santos were desperate to bounce back in a road match against Sport Recife. Neymar started the game, but despite a late equalizer from Joao Basso in the 88th minute, the 2-2 draw extended a worrying trend for the club.
With that result, Santos are now enduring their worst campaign in club history since the implementation of the points-based system in the Brasileirao. Their last notably poor run came in 2008, when they managed just 17 points through 16 games.
In 2025, Santos have earned only 15 points from the same number of matches—just four wins, three draws, and nine defeats. They currently sit in 16th place, a single point and position above the relegation zone. It’s a major warning sign for a club that only returned to the top flight last season.
Neymar speaks out on Santos’ struggles
Since rejoining Santos, Neymar has been plagued by injuries, missing over two months of action and several matches with the Brazil national team. He has appeared in 16 games so far, recording four goals and three assists. As criticism mounts, the Brazilian star addressed the club’s situation on social media.
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“Today went the way it could — with grit, with the desire to do our best! We didn’t have a good first half and made a lot of mistakes at times. Now we need to cool our heads, reset our minds, because these past few days have been exhausting. Thanks to the fans who made the effort to be in Recife, supporting us until the end!,” Neymar wrote on his Instagram.
Despite speculation about a possible early exit, Neymar recently extended his contract through the end of 2025, with an option to stay until after the 2026 World Cup. But as he works to regain full fitness, both his form and Santos’ results are starting to draw concern from the fanbase.
