Philippe Coutinho joins Neymar at Santos until end of season

Philippe Coutinho, 34, has joined Neymar at Santos FC, the move announced on 15 September 2026.

He has been without a club since leaving Vasco da Gama in February. Coutinho returned to his childhood club, Vasco da Gama, in 2024 and made 81 appearances before departing. Upon his exit he said he was "tired mentally".

Coutinho began his career at Vasco before joining Inter Milan and later moving to Liverpool in 2013. At Liverpool he scored 54 goals in 201 games before leaving for Barcelona in a £142m transfer in 2018. He subsequently had spells with Bayern Munich, Aston Villa and Al-Duhail prior to his return to Vasco.

Santos welcomed Coutinho on social media by posting an old photograph of him and Neymar as teenagers alongside a contemporary gym re-enactment. The club also shared a dressing-room clip showing Coutinho arriving and receiving a hug from Neymar. In that video Coutinho says "if it's a dream, I don't want to wake up".

Neymar returned to Santos in January last year. This signing will be the first time the friends have played together at club level. The pair are close friends and Brazil team-mates.

Coutinho's contract with Santos runs until the end of the season.