Neymar made his first outing for Santos since rejoining the club after a high-profile January move from Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal

Neymar has played for 52 minutes in his first match for Santos since returning to the Brazilian club last week.

Neymar 'is back' seems to be the verdict among fans after the Brazilian forward put in an eye-catching performance on his return to action since re-joining childhood club Santos during the winter transfer window. His side were held to a 1-1 draw by 10-man Botafogo in the Brazilian Paulista Championship (February 5).

Santos president Marcelo Teixeira is confident Neymar will remain at the club at least until the 2026 World Cup.

Neymar has confirmed he will sign what is expected to be a short-term contract with his boyhood club, Santos, as the Brazil striker aims to recharge his career ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

Neymar arrived at Santos training on Monday by helicopter, a rock star's entrance ahead of his return to where it all began

Neymar was set to be welcomed back to his boyhood club on Friday by thousands of Santos fans and a concert in the home stadium beneath an electronic sign saying, “The prince is back.” Neymar's private jet landed in the Sao Paulo state countryside from Saudi Arabia in the morning but he requested a few hours of rest before being flown into Santos by helicopter.

Neymar has returned to Brazilian club Santos where he began his professional footballing career, after his calamitous deal with Saudi outfit Al-Hilal.

Related to this round of the Paulista, Neymar is very close to making his re-debut for Santos, this Wednesday (5), against Botafogo-SP. The expectation is that the star will enter the game in the second half, marking the return of the number 10 shirt to Brazilian football.

Neymar announced Thursday he was returning to Brazilian club Santos, where he started his career, after ending his injury-plagued spell with Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal.