FIFA World Cup 2026

Brehme, Maradona, Matthaus and Neymar are among the World Cup heroes who returned to their old sides.

•Neymar has returned to Santos after nearly 12 years away

•The Brazilian star isn't the only FIFA World Cup icon to go back to his roots

•Likes of Lothar Matthaus and Maradona also returned to their boyhood clubs

After spending more than 11 years bamboozling defences across Europe and Asia, while lighting up the FIFA World Cup™ with Brazil, Neymar has returned to boyhood club Santos. The Brazilian winger, who spent his prime in the forward line of Barcelona alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, is now looking to end his career by adding to his considerable Santos legacy, while also aiming for the international success which has thus far eluded his stellar career.

In honour of Neymar, FIFA looks back at a handful of FIFA World Cup icons who returned to the clubs where they made their name.

Andreas Brehme

Kaiserslautern

While defender Brehme would win honours aplenty with Bayern Munich and Inter Milan, it's with Kaiserslautern where he is most fondly remembered. After moving to the club as a 21-year-old, he played more than 150 games before taking in spells in Bavaria, Milan and Spain with Real Zaragoza. He featured in the FIFA World Cup finals of 1986 and 1990, famously netting the winner from the penalty spot in the latter as West Germany edged out Argentina in Rome.

In 1993, some 12 years after leaving, Brehme returned to the club where he made his name and helped them win the DFB-Pokal in 1996, though that success came one week after relegation from the Bundesliga was confirmed. Breheme stuck with the side in the second tier as they earned promotion back to the top flight, before going on to become the first promoted side to immediately win the Bundesliga in Breheme's final season in football.

Diego Maradona

Boca Juniors

After making his name with Argentinos Juniors, the legendary Maradona continued his path to stardom by joining Argentinian heavyweights CA Boca Juniors in February 1981. He would go on to lead his new side to the league title that August, in what was the only major honour he won in his homeland.

After spells with Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla and Newell's Old Boys, as well as a stellar international career which was marked by victory in the 1986 FIFA World Cup final, Maradona returned to see out the final two years of his career at La Bombonera.

Lothar Matthaus

FC Herzogenaurach

Matthaus' lengthy career started in the youth ranks of amateur club FC Herzogenaurach in 1971, where he topped the scoring in each year until 1975. A move to Borussia Monchengladbach in '79 kick-started a legendary spell at the top of the game, which included titles with Bayern Munich, Inter Milan, the FIFA World Cup with West Germany in 1990 and being named FIFA World Player of the Year in 1991.

He retired from the game in 2000 after a year with the New York/New Jersey MetroStars in Major League Soccer, but would lace up his boots one final time almost 18 years later.

Neymar

Santos

During his first spell at Santos, Neymar became the first superstar teenager whose name was synonymous with YouTube highlight reels, as his skills wowed people all across the globe. After helping Santos to a hatful of trophies, including the 2011 Copa Libertadores, he moved to Barcelona in 2013 where he continued his ascent to one of the game's best, before moves to Paris Saint-Germain and Al Hilal.

After an injury-plagued 18-month stint in Saudi Arabia, it was announced on 31 January that Neymar would be returning to Santos 11-and-a-half years after leaving for Europe. He's now targeting success at FIFA World Cup 26, where he hopes to add to his impressive numbers at the finals, and earn a maiden crown.

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