Neymar Hands Messi Santos No 10 Shirt: A Symbolic Passing of the Torch

Santos FC shared an image Tuesday of Neymar Jr. Presenting Lionel Messi with a signed club jersey bearing the number 10, a gesture lauded by the Brazilian club as a symbolic passing of the torch from “The Prince to The Genius.” The presentation included matching jerseys for Messi’s sons, Thiago, Mateo, and Ciro.

The exchange highlights the enduring friendship between the two star footballers, who were teammates at Barcelona and later at Paris Saint-Germain. Santos’ social media post also invoked the legacy of Pelé, displaying the number 10 alongside images of both Neymar and Messi, framing it as “an infinite legacy in the history of soccer.”

Messi and Neymar first forged their bond during their time at Barcelona, winning eight trophies together, including a Champions League, La Liga, and Copa del Rey treble in the 2014-15 season as part of the celebrated ‘MSN’ attacking trio alongside Luis Suarez. Neymar’s move to PSG in 2017 temporarily separated the pair, but they reunited in Paris when Messi joined him as a free agent in 2021.

Both players departed France in 2023, with Messi signing with Inter Miami in Major League Soccer and Neymar joining Al-Hilal. Neymar subsequently returned to his boyhood club, Santos, in 2025, playing a key role in helping them avoid relegation in the Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A season. The gift of the Santos jersey represents a continuation of their close relationship, even as their playing careers have taken them to different continents.

The jerseys presented to Messi and his sons were replica Santos shirts with Neymar’s name and the number 10 customized on the back, a number significant to both players and to Brazilian football icon Pelé. Santos FC’s post described the jersey as “The Sacred Mantle, of immeasurable value, with the number immortalised by the King.”