Neymar da Silva Santos Junior was born in Sao Paulo in 1992 and first joined Santos FC’s youth academy at the age of 11. That day they knew they had a gem in their hands.
His talent was quickly recognised through his skill, flair and creativity on the pitch. Six years later he had his first ever debut on March 7th, 2009.
That season, he went on to score 14 goals and was a regular starter for the men’s professional squad at the age of 17.
This was just the beginning. From that day onwards he quickly became the face of Santos FC, known to fans as Neymar Jr with the number 11 on the back of his shirt being the top scorer in several competitions.
He led them to the Copa de Brasil in 2010 and the Copa Libertadores in 2011, the first time since Santos had won back when Pele was on the pitch.
This gained him worldwide recognition which later led to his move to FC Barcelona, and the rest is history.
However, this was not the end of his relationship with his beloved ‘Peixe’.
In January 2025, Neymar Jr came back to his boyhood club, awarding him with the number ‘10’, once worn by ‘O Rei’ in the 1960s.
Now another tribute has been paid to their adored ‘Principe’.
Both Neymar Jr and Santos FC are back in blue, a nostalgic call-back to the last time he had worn their shirt, with the iconic polo. But Umbro have seemed to leave some easter eggs for fans.
The shirt features details such as his final message he left on the walls of the changing rooms before he left, saying “EU VOU’ MAS… ‘EU VOLTO!’”.
“I’m going, but… I’ll be back.”
‘Principe’ is seen on the sleeve of the shirt, with the ‘P’ being shaped into a ‘10’ showing an appreciation of a new era, in a series of rich history that a club like Santos FC holds.
This shirt is not only paying homage to one of the club’s greats in an era where wonderkids are becoming more and more common in modern football, but is a signal to fans that they know the significance of what a player like Neymar Jr has been not only for football, but the culture that stands firmly behind it.
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