Neymar has officially renewed his contract with Santos, extending his time with the club until the end of December.

The 33-year-old forward returned to his original team in late January but faced several limitations due to injuries. His previous contract was set to expire soon, but both Neymar and the club confirmed the extension on Tuesday.

“I extended my contract with Santos. I went, I came back and I stay where it all began and where it will never end,” Neymar shared in a social media video.

Neither party specified why the contract was not extended through mid-2026, a time when many expect him to be a part of the World Cup. New Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti has hinted at relying on Neymar’s recovery for the tournament in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada.

Since returning to Santos from Al-Hilal, Neymar has been in 12 matches, netting three goals and assisting three more, but has missed significant time due to muscle injuries.

During his first tenure with Santos, he played 225 matches, scoring 138 goals, helping the club win six titles. However, the club faced relegation in 2023 but managed to bounce back last year.

Neymar’s most recent match was a disheartening outing; he was shown a red card in the 76th minute of a 1-0 home loss against Botafogo on June 1 after scoring with his hand.

He was already on a yellow card and was issued a second after the referee disallowed the goal. Botafogo later scored the deciding goal in the 86th minute.

Al-Hilal had cut his contract six months early, following his participation in only seven matches due to an ACL injury that kept him sidelined for nearly a year. The club expressed that Neymar’s performance had declined significantly.

Santos currently holds the 15th position in the Brazilian league, with just 11 points after 12 matches.