Neymar plays his 1st match for Santos in 12 years

ISTANBUL

Neymar took the field for Santos for the first time in 12 years in Brazil's top-tier Serie A game on Thursday.

Neymar, who recently left Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal to return to Santos, where he began his football career 12 years ago, featured in the second half of their home match against Botafogo.

Santos led 1-0 at halftime, courtesy of a penalty goal by Tiquinho Soares in the 38th minute.

However, they were unable to hold onto the lead, as Alexandre Jesus scored in the 67th minute, resulting in a 1-1 draw.

Following the game, Neymar shared his emotions on Instagram, expressing his joy and excitement about returning to Santos. He wrote, "I am very happy and excited to be back. I will give my all, as I always have, to put Santos where it deserves to be—at the top."

"Even though the result was bad, today was a very special day. Thank you all for your affection and for encouraging us until the end. Now more than ever we need all the support from our fans... because with you we are stronger!" the Brazilian left winger added.

Neymar, who broke into Santos' first team at the age of 17 in 2009, became a key player for the club until the summer of 2013, when he made the move to FC Barcelona.

During his time at Santos, Neymar scored 134 goals in 220 appearances for his boyhood club.

In Barcelona, he further cemented his status as one of the world's best players, finishing his tenure as the club's 17th all-time top scorer with 105 goals.

The 33-year-old has scored 134 goals in 220 games for his boyhood club.

However, the Brazilian showed his best football in the Blaugrana shirt, leaving Spain as the 17th goal scorer in the club's history with 105 goals.