Neymar takes Man of the Match honors in highly anticipated return to Santos

It was a night to remember for Gabriel Bontempo, a 20-year-old attacking midfielder and a huge fan of Neymar, who is often referred to as the ‘next Neymar’. 

On February 6, at Santos‍‍` Vila Belmiro stadium, the young star was taken off the field at the start of the second half, happy to make way for none other than his idol Neymar. 

This wasn’t just any regular match – it marked Neymar’s emotional return to Santos after nearly 12 years. Bontempo will surely never forget this moment, and Neymar himself will hold this game close to his heart.

Neymar‍‍`s father, Neymar Sr., couldn’t contain his pride, calling this game the beginning of his son‍‍`s "final phase." 

Sitting in the stands, he shared his thoughts in an interview before the match, saying it was a significant moment in his son’s career. 

Neymar, in his return to the field, was quick to show his quality. He played well, creating a fantastic opportunity to score, and ended up being named Player of the Match. 

However, Santos couldn’t hold onto their lead. 

When Neymar entered the field, the score was 1-0 in favor of Santos, but Botafogo managed to equalize, and the match finished in a 1-1 draw.

After recovering from injury, Neymar admitted that he’s not fully back to his peak fitness. He shared his excitement about playing for Santos again, saying, 

“I love Santos. I can’t express how I feel about tonight (yesterday) in words.” Still, he mentioned he needs more time to return to his best, explaining, “I need to play more matches. I’m not back to 100% yet. I didn’t want to run too much or dribble too much tonight. I hope to feel better in four or five matches.”

Neymar‍‍`s journey from Santos‍‍` youth academy to Barcelona in 2013, his world-record transfer to PSG in 2017, and now his return to Santos has come full circle. 

Neymar’s father described his son‍‍`s career in three phases: the first at Santos, the second in Europe and Saudi Arabia, and now this emotional return to where it all started. 

“This is the final phase of my son’s career. It’s his third phase, and we want to enjoy it fully, starting from today,” Neymar Sr. shared proudly.

Neymar’s return was filled with emotions and promise for the future, as fans and players alike celebrated this new chapter in the superstar’s career.