Santos president eager for Neymar to stay in Brazil until 2026 World Cup despite ex-Barcelona & PSG star eyeing summer return to Europe

Santos chief Marcelo Teixeira expects the Brazil icon to stay in his homeland at least until the 2026 World Cup in North America. Neymar made an emotional comeback to his boyhood club last month as he penned a six-month deal with the Brazilian side after mutually terminating his Al-Hilal contract, six months before its expiry.

Speaking to TV Globo, Teixeira said: "We intend for him to participate so the club can achieve results in the six-month project, with the prospect of him staying until the World Cup. The whole project is to make this happen. It is important for him to re-emerge as a great player at home, aiming for the World Cup.

"We have already started producing the possibility of a third uniform and changed the colour. The idea is for it to be blue, something natural for it to happen so that we can carry out the project of Neymar's arrival, which involves a lot of responsibility, to sustain the project."

He added: "Neymar at Santos is an identity that cannot be rejected. If he were to start over at another club, I believe it would be more difficult to reach the brand of a club in Brazil and the world, of Santos' potential, with Neymar. This is a perfect marriage that has everything to work out."

While the Santos president sounded confident that he would be able to convince the 32-year-old to extend his stay at the club, ESPN reports that the former Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona winger is planning to make a stunning return to Europe at the end of the 2024/25 campaign.

Santos are trying their best to help the star attacker regain his match fitness and make his debut for the club on his 33rd birthday on Wednesday against Botafogo, as Teixeira added: "Every effort is for this to happen."