Neymar’s Homecoming: A Brazilian Pro-Israel legend returns

There aren’t many players in the world like Neymar.

The young prodigy who, at just 17, had the entire world buzzing with his acrobatic soccer skills is, in many ways, reminiscent of LeBron James—both were burdened with enormous expectations from a young age, and both ultimately lived up to them.

As Messi’s deputy at Barcelona and a superstar for several seasons at Paris Saint-Germain, Neymar captured the world's heart with his electrifying performances. His 2014 World Cup campaign in Brazil was nothing short of mesmerizing, but it was tragically cut short in the quarter-finals after a reckless challenge from a Colombian defender—an injury that came mere millimeters from leaving him paralyzed. Without Neymar, Brazil suffered one of the most infamous defeats in World Cup history, a shocking 7-1 loss to Germany in the semi-finals.

Now, after two years in Saudi Arabia—where he seemingly fathered more children than he scored goals—and following a severe ACL injury that left pundits wondering if he would ever play soccer again, Neymar has been recalled to the Seleção National Team squad.

Much has been said about his love for women, nightlife, and casinos, as well as the criticism he faced for choosing to move to Saudi Arabia at 31 for an astronomical salary of $107 million per year when he was still highly sought after by top European clubs. Yet, in a surprising turn of events, the Saudi club that signed him decided to part ways, and Neymar returned home to his roots—to the club where he grew up, where another Brazilian legend, Pelé, once rose to greatness—Santos.

Upon his return to Brazil, reports surfaced that he was overweight and out of shape. Some media pundits in Brazil may have still resented his public support of former president Jair Bolsonaro. However, Neymar, known for his emotional openness, avoided conflict as he always did, kept to himself, and made his positive feelings clear:

"I can't find the words to express the feeling when you love something. I love Santos very much, and I can't find the words to describe the feeling I felt when I stepped out onto the pitch today."

It’s also worth noting that Neymar is a devout Christian and an open supporter of Israel, having maintained connections with Prime Minister Netanyahu.

Meanwhile, his return to the national team comes ahead of two fascinating matchups against two of his generational counterparts, both considered among the greatest South American players of all time (alongside Luis Suárez)—James Rodríguez and, of course, Lionel Messi.

Neymar’s story is far from over. Despite the recent challenges, he reminded the world of his brilliance in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, scoring one of the greatest goals in tournament history against Croatia—though it will likely be overshadowed by Brazil’s defensive collapse that led to their elimination.

Still, in his recent games for Santos (three goals and three assists in ten days), Neymar has shown that he still has plenty left to offer.

The legendary clash between a 38-year-old Messi and a 33-year-old Neymar is set to generate massive headlines and will likely be remembered for years to come.

In the meantime, Brazilian soccer continues to prove that it always finds a way to bring its legends home. Whether it’s Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Romário, or now Neymar, these icons return without friction—and remarkably, they still manage to put on a great show.

In an era where it seems every athlete has a price, Neymar’s return to Santos—a club with an annual budget that is half of what he earned in Saudi Arabia—proves that some things are bigger than money.

Oh and meanwhile just to make it all so much more juicy Barcelona's Sport Director, Deco, just announced "If Neymar will score 15 goals this season with Santos, we will re-sign him". But will he want to leave?