Neymar caps Santos return with assist, earns more chances to convince Carlo Ancelotti for Brazil recall
Neymar’s wait is finally over. After 70 days since his last appearance, he returned to action for Santos FC and made an immediate impact, contributing an assist in the team’s win. As he works toward full fitness, Neymar will now have additional opportunities to convince head coach Carlo Ancelotti he deserves a recall to the Brazil national team.
Santos entered their Matchday 8 clash with Velo Clube needing a victory and favorable results elsewhere to advance in the Campeonato Paulista. With the score 3-0 at halftime, head coach Juan Pablo Vojvoda opted to bring Neymar on for the second half, a moment that energized the crowd at Vila Belmiro.
In his first appearance of 2026 (and his first since December 7) Neymar generated several chances, came close to scoring twice, and even absorbed a heavy tackle from Karl that briefly raised concern before he continued. Minutes after that challenge, in the 81st minute, Neymar slipped a pass to Gabriel Barbosa, who unleashed a strike from outside the box, allowing the former FC Barcelona star to record an assist in his return.
More chances for Neymar to impress
The match ended in a dominant 6-0 victory, and with Botafogo-SP losing and Guarani FC drawing, Santos secured a playoff berth in eighth place, the final qualifying spot. The Peixe will now face group leaders Novorizontino in the quarterfinals on Feb. 22.
Advancing is welcome news for Neymar as he looks not only to regain match fitness but also strengthen his case for a call-up. With Brazil scheduled to play on March 26 and 31, an early Santos elimination would have left him with only four additional club matches to impress.
Progressing, however, means potential appearances in the quarterfinal, semifinal (March 1), and a two-leg final (March 4 and 8), giving him as many as four extra opportunities to showcase his form. Despite more than two months on the sidelines, the forward made a strong impression, logging up to 50 minutes at a high level.
Coach expectations surrounding Neymar
Neymar’s potential return to the Canarinha has become a major talking point across Brazil. Recently, while attending Carnival festivities in Bahia, Ancelotti went viral when he was asked by singer Léo Santana to call up Neymar, prompting the Italian manager to reply, “Thank you for the advice.”
After qualification was secured, Vojvoda was also asked about Neymar’s form with Santos and his chances of making the 2026 World Cup roster, offering a candid response: “I think everyone needs Neymar. Santos, the national team… Ancelotti will be happy if he’s doing well. One thing leads to another. He’s a world-class player. He still has that ambition. I see it in every small-sided game in training—he wants to be out there and he wants to win. That’s motivating.“
He also addressed the forward’s fitness, suggesting more minutes could be on the horizon. “Neymar was already training well. But I wanted to see him in an official match. So he logged 50 minutes in the second half, and now we have a week ahead to prepare. We’ll wait and see,” the Santos boss added.