Santos appoint Neymar’s father as executive director as son leads team on the pitch

Santos have appointed Neymar’s father as the club’s new executive director, formally placing the Brazilian side’s administration and its on-field leadership within the same family.

The decision, announced by the historic Brazilian club on Friday, means Neymar senior will take charge of the executive role, which had been vacant for a year and a half. He is expected to remain in the position at least until the end of 2026 and is widely known in Brazil as “Neymar Pai”.

The appointment gives the club a new structure at a difficult stage of the season. Neymar senior has long worked as his son’s agent, but will now move from representing the player to taking responsibility for Santos’ administrative decisions.

Neymar returned to his boyhood club in 2025 after spells with Barcelona, Paris St-Germain and Al Hilal. His homecoming was an emotional event for Santos, but the appointment of his father turns the return into a broader family project at the club.

While Neymar Pai oversees the organisation away from the pitch, his son remains Santos’ captain and faces the responsibility of leading the team during a demanding run-in.

Santos, known by their nickname “El Peixe”, are currently ninth in the Brazilian top flight with four matches remaining. Their position comes after the club narrowly avoided relegation last season, adding significance to the decision to change the leadership structure at this point in the campaign.

The team will also be without their Brazil international number 10 for their final two matches after the player was suspended. That absence places further pressure on Santos as they try to finish the season strongly.

The move has been made amid a combination of high expectations for the new administration, occasional frustration among supporters and the return of the club’s captain. Santos have now placed much of their future in the hands of the Neymar family, creating a direction that could either deliver success or generate further controversy.

The announcement is listed under Santos FC, the Brazilian League and Curitiba, dated 18 November 2026.