SAO PAULO (AP) — Santos secured its return to the top tier of Brazilian soccer next year when it hopes that star striker Neymar will be back at the club which achieved a global following with Pelé.

Santos, which was relegated in 2023 for the first time in its history almost a year after the death of all-time great Pelé, secured its place in Brazil’s Serie A with a 2-0 win at Coritiba on Monday night. Wendel opened the scoring in the 20th minute and Romulo Otero added a second in the 41st.

Serie B leader Santos has 68 points in 36 matches, guaranteeing one of the four promotion places.

Santos president Marcelo Teixeira said in the early hours of Tuesday that he will wait for Neymar and his Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal to decide their future. The 32-year-old player is under contract until June.

In 2011, a teenage Neymar led Santos to their first Copa Libertadores title in 48 years. He left the club in 2013 for Barcelona.

“(We are) clear and objective, his father and his staff know it,” Teixeira told reporters at the Vila Belmiro Stadium in Santos, outside Sao Paulo. “They know me, they know Santos. We have to wait because he has an active contract.”

Teixeira added that Neymar will be welcome to the stadium on Sunday, when Santos plays CRB. A win will secure the Serie B title for Santos.

“The box is available to him, as always. If he is in Brazil, he will be welcome,” Teixeira said.

As he recovered from an ACL injury, Neymar repeatedly posted pictures and videos of himself watching Santos matches and speaking to team players. Al-Hilal said on Nov. 6 that the Brazilian is once again sidelined because of a muscular injury.

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer