It could have happened far sooner. South American players are often quick to jump the gun and cross the Atlantic Ocean as soon as a European club puts an offer on the table. But he waited, resisting the temptation until he was ready to leave his comfort zone.
On May 26, 2013, Neymar pulled on Santos Futebol Clube's white shirt for the last time. It was the first matchday of the Brasileirao, but the end of a glorious chapter in the Peixe's history. Destined for Barcelona, he cried before kick-off, knowing he was saying goodbye to the only club he'd ever known. A scoreless draw was played out at Flamengo, and, just like that, the second coming of the Golden Decade was over.
Neymar's departure from Santos had a domino effect. Muricy Ramalho left the Peixe's command a few days later, and Rafael Cabral was sold to SSC Napoli not long after. In a heartbeat, the Brazilian club became a shadow of itself.
Neymar had taken Santos to heights not reached since the 1960s, when Pele was at his finest. Between May 2009 - when he came off the bench and made his professional debut as a scrawny 17-year-old - and May 2013, the Peixe won the Campeonato Paulista three years in a row, the Copa do Brasil, and, above all, the Copa Libertadores. The Brazilian club came within touching distance of taking over the world, coming up short as Barcelona solidified its claim as the planet's best in the final of the Club World Cup.
How would Santos compensate for a once-in-a-lifetime footballer who notched 138 goals in 230 matches?
Almost four years on from Neymar's adeus, and Santos is once again battling in the Copa Libertadores. The return to the tournament was a bumpy one, but the Peixe is back in South America's equivalent of the Champions League for the first time since 2012 and looking like one of the clubs to beat.
In the aftermath of Neymar's exit, Santos employed some of Brazilian football's biggest names, including Leandro Damiao, who reportedly cost a ludicrous R$ 41 million, and Robinho, who embarked on a third adventure with the Peixe by joining the club on a season-long loan from AC Milan. Neither of them made an impact.
Gabriel Barbosa, known affectionately as Gabigol, was regarded as the heir to the throne at Santos. He joined the Peixe at only eight years old and scored over 600 goals in Brazil's youth leagues. It was no coincidence when he made his professional debut in Neymar's farewell game. The club wanted to suggest a torch was being passed at Estadio Urbano Caldeira.
Gabigol moved to Internazionale in the middle of last year's Brasileirao, but not before helping lay the foundation for Santos' return to the Copa Libertadores with Jonathan Copete, Vitor Bueno, Lucas Lima, Ricardo Oliveira, and others. The Peixe boasted one of the most formidable attacks in Brazilian football, and the club finished second, punching its ticket to South American football's most prestigious competition. Damiao wasn't needed. Robinho wasn't needed.
Santos was drawn into Group 2, alongside Bolivia's The Strongest, Colombia's Independiente Santa Fe, and Peru's Sporting Cristal. It was a favourable draw for the Peixe, who avoided all the Argentinian clubs.
Through its first four games in the Copa Libertadores, Santos is unbeaten and atop its group. The Peixe marked its return to the tournament with a 1-1 draw at Cristal in March, and followed it up by defeating The Strongest 2-0 one week later. The two goals came after El Tigre lost Walter Veizaga to a red card. Next up for the Brazilian club were two dates with Santa Fe. A scoreless draw was the result in Colombia, and the two-time champion beat Los Cardenales 3-2 in Brazil.
In a tournament where the champion is likely to come from Brazil, Santos looks capable of adding a fourth star to its shirt. No other Brazilian club is undefeated in this year's Copa Libertadores. The goals are coming from everywhere. Five players are responsible for the Peixe's six goals in the competition. At 36 years of age, Oliveira is making a claim for international duty. One year older, Renato is still finding the back of the net. Lucas Verissimo, a 21-year-old centre-back, tallied the winning goal in the club's victory over Santa Fe. Meanwhile, Bruno Henrique is reviving his career after a depressing spell in the Bundesliga.
It might be 50 years until another footballer of Neymar's quality is produced at Santos, but the Peixe are swimming just fine without him.
(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)
