Former Barcelona Midfielder Philippe Coutinho Joins Neymar at Santos Until the End of the Season

Former Liverpool and Barcelona midfielder Philippe Coutinho has reunited with his longtime friend and former Brazil teammate Neymar after joining Brazilian club Santos for the remainder of the season.

The 34-year-old midfielder had been without a club since leaving Vasco da Gama in February. He has now agreed to join Santos, where he will wear the No. 11 jersey until the end of the year.

Coutinho revealed that Neymar played a major role in convincing him to return to football after he initially turned down several approaches from his childhood friend.

According to the midfielder, Neymar first contacted him shortly after his departure from Vasco, but Coutinho told him that he was not in the right mental state to resume playing at the time.

He explained that Neymar reached out again months later, but he maintained his decision. However, when Neymar contacted him for a third time about two weeks ago, Coutinho reconsidered his position and decided it was time to return to the pitch.

Coutinho said:

“Neymar certainly played a very important role in my coming here. He’s a player who needs no introduction, a friend I’ve had since childhood.”

The midfielder admitted that he had been mentally exhausted after his time at Vasco but eventually realised that he wanted to return to football.

He thanked Santos president Mattos and Neymar for helping make the move possible, describing his decision to join the club as a new challenge.

Coutinho also made it clear that he is only focused on finishing the current season with Santos and is not yet considering what will happen beyond the end of the year.

He said playing alongside Neymar was an important factor in his decision, but he would wait until next year before making any decision about his future.

Meanwhile, Neymar’s current contract with Santos is also scheduled to expire at the end of the year, meaning the reunion between the two former Brazil internationals could be limited to the remainder of the current season.

Coutinho last represented Brazil in March 2022. He returned to his boyhood club Vasco da Gama in 2024 but departed in February 2026 after making 81 appearances for the club.