"It generates a lot of money."

Marcelo Teixeira, president of Santos in the Brazilian Serie A, said in an interview with global "Info Money" on the 20th (Korean time), "Signing Neymar was a big success," and added, "I am confident about the extension contract. And it is yielding commercially viable effects."

Neymar underwent reconstruction surgery on his anterior cruciate ligament after injuring his knee during a match against Uruguay in October last year. He had been preparing for a return to the national team after 17 months, but recently missed another opportunity due to an injury to his left thigh muscle during a match with his club. Right after the injury, he sparked controversy by posting pictures on his social media account of himself watching the samba parade in Rio de Janeiro with his partner.

Neymar has bet everything to aim for World Cup participation. He transferred to Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia in August 2023 for a salary of 150 million euros (approximately 226.3 billion won), but he sacrificed 99% of his salary to return to Santos, his former team, last month. He has recorded three goals and three assists in seven matches in the Brazilian first division, raising his game sense. The Brazilian Football Confederation also recognized his desire and included him in the national team roster announced on the 6th. However, he was ruled out due to injury just before the squad announcement.

Dori Val Junior, the coach of the Brazilian national team, selected Endrick (18, Real Madrid) as a replacement to fill Neymar's absence. Endrick has played in 28 official matches for Real Madrid this season, scoring six goals. For the Brazilian national team, he has appeared in 13 matches and scored three goals.

In addition to Neymar, there were changes in the national team roster. Goalkeeper Ederson (30, Manchester City) and defender Danilo (32, Juventus) were also excluded due to injuries. Coach Junior selected Lucas Perrin (26, Olympique Lyon) and Alex Sandro (33, Flamengo) as their replacements.

Neymar holds the record as the all-time leading scorer for the Brazilian national team with 79 goals in 128 international matches. However, frequent injuries have prevented him from performing normally for the national team.

Neymar stated through his social media account, "The return (to the national team) seemed close, but unfortunately, I can no longer wear the heaviest jersey in the world right now," adding, "We had long discussions, and everyone knows that I wanted to return. But we decided not to rush. I judged that it was best to prepare better to fully recover from the injury. I thank those who sent me messages."

Despite such injuries, Santos was thrilled. President Teixeira remarked, "It's amazing that Neymar came. It's a huge success commercially. The commercial revenue multiplied several times for a team that was financially struggling due to just one player, Neymar," and added, "We will use this money to revamp our infrastructure," smiling.

President Teixeira noted, "Neymar's return is like the decoration that puts the finishing touch on a cake. This leads to immediate economic benefits and elevates the club's stature. The fans' interest has also significantly increased," and added with a smile, "I believe the performance will probably improve soon."

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