First Neymar homecoming, now a new stadium! Santos to rip down Vila Belmiro & build stunning 30,000-seat arena with Pele tribute as £96m project is approved

Santos have been playing at the 16,000-seater Vila Belmiro since 1916 but now the Brazilian team have been given the go-ahead to replace it with a new 30,000-seat arena after the City Hall approved the project. The initiative will reportedly take three years and could cost at least £96m ($129.5m).

Months after club icon Neymar made an emotional return to Santos, the Sao Paulo team are looking to the future, while honouring their past as well. In addition to being a multi-purpose stadium that can host concerts and other sports, the ground's exterior will have players printed on the side, with Santos legend Pele front and centre.

Pele is Santos' greatest ever player, and when he died in 2022, his coffin was placed in the club's stadium for thousands of fans to pay their respects to the Brazilian great. Now, the Brazilian Serie A team will honour him again with this new ground.

Ahead of work commencing, Santos mayor, Rogerio Santos, said this was a big step forward for the club.

He added: "The Santos FC and the City of Santos enjoy great bonhomie. It is for the Santos FC that the City of Santos is known globally. By giving our nod to the above venue project we have taken a significant step forward for the club and the City which will soon boast a chic arena which will be able to stage major acts as well as concerts as presently we lack the infrastructure to host showcase events."