All hail Neymar’s return: He’s back pulling off outrageous rainbow flicks like he never left
Neymar is one of the most naturally gifted players of the past two decades but his emotional return to Santos has yet to yield a victory.
While he shared a lovely moment with Memphis Depay following the defeat to Corinthians, who now boast the former Manchester United forward, it was another game without a win. The pair did exchange jerseys and boots in a mini-reunion of two old foes from their days in Ligue 1, but that seems like a lifetime ago now.
Neymar’s third game since his return to Brazil ended in a 2-1 defeat to Depay’s side to follow up back-to-back draws against Botofogo SP and Novorizontino. He’s also yet to play more than 74 minutes in a game after his lengthy layoff in Saudi Arabia.
Still, the excitement runs deep. Having enjoyed nothing more than a glorified paid holiday in the Saudi Pro League, returning to his roots of Brazilian football where the beautiful game is most championed is a narrative that many have been excited for – and we are getting small glimpses of that exciting ‘Joga Bonito’ style that is seen less in the modern game.
Social media was overjoyed to see him produce a beautiful bit of skill, reminiscent of the ‘old Neymar’ which has been laying dormant for some time. Neymar controlled a testing ball with his chest before using his heel to flick it around a defender on the half-volley which left him essentially watching on in awe as he swaggered off with the ball.
Neymar skill vs Corinthians
byu/aleksandrovsqvist insoccer
In the battle of style versus substance, however, it is three games without a goal contribution for the ex-Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain star – but it isn’t from a lack of trying.
Having played just seven games since late 2023 at club level due to issues with his knee and hamstring at 33, having such a long layoff was always going to result in a slow start when he returned to action.
The excitement is high and his name carries such weight that fans still expect him to be too good for the Brazilian top-flight which hasn’t been the case so far.
Across the three appearances so far, we’ve seen him attempt an average of seven dribbles per game, completing an average of under three.
His performance against Corinthians was arguably his best yet, managing four key passes and completing four successful crosses out of six attempts which shows he is slowly acclimatising back to regular football in a familiar environment.
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“From the outset, with all due respect to Penalty, which sponsors the ball, I think they need to improve this ball a little bit more,” Neymar told Brazilian outlet TV Record after the final whistle.
“The other day [Flamengo coach] Filipe Luis said it, and I agree. This ball is really bad and needs to be improved a little bit more to help our championship too.”
For Neymar, he has returned to a club who are fighting to re-establish itself as a major player in Brazil having escaped the second division last season. That relegation was a first in their 112-year existence.
In his final season in 2013 before leaving for Barcelona, he had already established himself as the best player in South America and the hottest talent in world football as his side finished second to, you guessed it, Corinthians in the league.
Fast forward more than a decade later and it is a very different landscape but, from what we’ve seen so far, the main takeaway is that Neymar looks motivated and hungry and he’s only going to get better every game he plays – and that should result in many more dazzling moments of skill for us to drool over, even if his best days are behind him.