Brazilian football giants Santos FC have extended an invitation to Spain’s Euro 2024 winner Lamine Yamal after he posted a photo of himself wearing a Santos jersey featuring Neymar’s name, Soccernet.football reports.
Yamal, the 17-year-old Barcelona winger, paid tribute to Neymar by wearing his iconic Santos shirt during a holiday after his Euro 2024 success.
The young football star shared his admiration for Neymar with fans by wearing the 2012 Santos jersey, which Neymar wore in his final season in Brazil before moving to Barcelona in 2013.
Yamal has often spoken about his admiration for Neymar. The Al-Hilal star’s flair and creativity on the field have greatly inspired the teenager.
After Spain’s European Championship victory, Neymar congratulated Yamal with a clapping emoji on Instagram.
Yamal has previously said: “I have always said that Messi is the best player in history for me, but the one I liked to watch was Neymar. Neymar made me want to watch the games; he made me have fun. It was nice to see him play.”
During Spain’s celebrations, Yamal showed his admiration for Neymar again by dancing in a style similar to the Brazilian star and wearing an outfit reminiscent of Neymar’s.
Santos, delighted by Yamal’s tribute, invited him to visit Brazil and receive his own iconic kit.
They posted on social media: “This jersey is historic, Yamal. We are going to present you the new Sacred Mantle. If you prefer, you can come and pick it up at Vila Belmiro and take the opportunity to get to know the Sacred Temple of world football during your vacation.”
Yamal, currently on holiday in Greece, has not yet responded to Santos’ invitation. With two weeks of vacation left before returning to training with Barcelona, Yamal could take this opportunity to visit Santos and receive the new jersey.
He will not join FC Barcelona on their pre-season tour to the United States, where the team is set to play three friendly matches, including one against Real Madrid.