Brazil midfielder Philippe Coutinho has joined Santos FC until the end of the season, reuniting with close friend and national team colleague Neymar at the Brazilian club.
The 34-year-old has been without a club since leaving Vasco da Gama in February. He had returned to his boyhood club in 2024 and made 81 appearances before departing, saying he was “tired mentally”.
Santos announced Coutinho’s arrival on social media with an old photograph of him and Neymar as teenagers, alongside a new picture of the pair recreating the same pose in the gym.
The club also released a video showing Coutinho entering the dressing room, where he was greeted by Neymar. Coutinho then said, “if it’s a dream, I don’t want to wake up”.
Neymar returned to Santos, where he began his professional journey, in January last year. Coutinho’s arrival will mark the first time the two Brazil teammates have played together at club level.
Coutinho began his senior career at Vasco before moving to Inter Milan and later joining Liverpool in 2013. He scored 54 goals in 201 appearances for the English club before completing a £142 million move to Barcelona in 2018.
The midfielder subsequently played for Bayern Munich, Aston Villa and Al-Duhail before returning to Vasco.
