Neymar was greeted by thousands of fans at his childhood club, Santos, on Friday, with a concert at the local stadium and a sign that read, “The Prince is Back.”

The Brazilian star’s private jet landed in São Paulo from Saudi Arabia in the morning, but Neymar requested a few hours of rest before being flown to Santos by helicopter.

The 32-year-old forward is expected to sign a short-term contract with Santos as he aims to regain his standing in Brazil ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

Posters saying “The Prince is Back” were being sold for 10 reais (about $1.50) around the 20,000-seat Vila Belmiro Stadium, located on the outskirts of São Paulo.

Real Madrid crowned themselves champions of their fourth Intercontinental Cup on Wednesday, defeating Mexican club Pachuca 3-0 in Doha, thanks to goals from Frenchman Kylian Mbappé and Brazilians Rodrygo and Vinicius.

The ‘Merengues’ thus capped off a spectacular 2024 year, winning five titles. Before this success in Qatar, they had already claimed the Spanish League, the UEFA Champions League, and the Super Cups of Spain and Europe.

Mbappé, who made his return after a minor muscle injury, capitalized on a pass from Brazilian Vinicius in the 37th minute, who dribbled past goalkeeper Carlos Moreno, to finish from close range. It was the first shot on target for Real Madrid.

The team doubled their lead with another brilliant goal from Rodrygo, who feigned a shot to beat his defenders and created enough space to take a strike from the edge of the area, beating Moreno in the 53rd minute.

For a few moments, the goal was under review after Venezuelan referee Jesús Valenzuela was called to check a potential offside by Jude Bellingham.

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CEL

However, the referee concluded that the Englishman did not interfere with the play and the goal was allowed.

Five minutes later, Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois had to use his hand to stop a dangerous ball, which Salomón Rondón almost put into the net.

Mbappé, who had scored a hat-trick in the 2022 World Cup final that was lost to Argentina’s Lionel Messi in the same Lusail stadium, left the pitch in the 62nd minute on the decision of Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti, who lifted his 15th title with the club—one more than the legendary Miguel Muñoz.

When it seemed like the players of Uruguayan Guillermo Almada had gained some initiative, Oussama Idrissi fouled Lucas Vázquez inside the area, and the penalty was reviewed via VAR.

Vinicius converted the spot-kick in the 84th minute with a low, powerful shot that Moreno touched but could not save.

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CEL

The newly named FIFA Player of the Year had another chance to score, while Ángel Mena managed to head the ball into the net before the 90-minute mark, but his goal was ruled offside.

In the eighth round of La Liga, FC Barcelona suffered their first setback of the season, losing 4-2 to a spirited Osasuna in Navarra. The Barça, who had won their previous seven matches, appeared disoriented due to rotations in their lineup, which the home team capitalized on to secure a well-deserved victory.

Despite the defeat, Barcelona remains at the top of the table with 21 points. However, their closest rival, Real Madrid (currently in second with 17 points), could close the gap to just one point if they defeat Atlético Madrid in the Madrid derby on Sunday.

“Rotations are normal; there are many matches, but that’s no excuse. We needed to start focused as a team, and the halftime result affected us,” Pedri stated to Movistar+ after the match. “In the second half, we deserved more, but we conceded goals when we were playing better.”

Osasuna’s victory was solidified by a brilliant performance from Bryan Zaragoza, who first assisted Ante Budimir for the opening goal in the 18th minute and then finished expertly against Iñaki Peña in the 28th minute. For Zaragoza, Barcelona seems to be a recurring victim, as in October 2023, while playing for Granada, he scored a brace in a 2-2 draw against the Catalan side.

Although Barça reacted in the second half with a goal from Pau Víctor in the 53rd minute, it was not enough to turn the tide. Coach Hansi Flick, who fielded a lineup full of youngsters like Gerard Martín, Sergi Domínguez, Pablo Torre, and Pau Víctor, acknowledged his responsibility for the defeat due to making multiple changes to the lineup.

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CEL

“If anyone should be blamed for this defeat, it’s me,” Flick explained. “We made many mistakes in the first half. We made a lot of changes to the team, and that may be one of the reasons, but it was necessary due to the accumulation of matches. It’s my responsibility.”