Santos Futebol Clube, commonly known as "Santos", was founded on April 14, 1912, and is a professional sports club located in the Vila Belmiro district of Santos, Brazil. Santos has been recognized by FIFA as one of the most successful clubs of the 20th century and was ranked as the second most valuable football club in South America by Brand Finance in 2013.
On June 23, 1912, Santos defeated Treze 2-1 in a practice match, with Arnaldo scoring the club's first-ever goal. In 1913, the team won its first São Paulo State Championship, finishing the tournament with six wins and scoring 35 goals. In 1935, they won their first state-level championship by defeating Corinthians 2-0 at the Estádio da Vila Belmiro. In 1956, the club signed 15-year-old Edson Arantes do Nascimento, who later became known worldwide as "Pelé", becoming a key figure in the club's golden era.
The 1960s was the most glorious period for Santos, during which they won a total of 24 championships, including five consecutive Brazilian Serie A titles, a record that remains unmatched to this day. In 1962, the team achieved the remarkable feat of winning four titles, securing the São Paulo State Championship, the Brazilian Serie A, the Copa Libertadores, the European Cup, and the Copa Sudamericana. On January 20, 1998, the club became the first team in football history to reach the milestone of 10,000 goals, having won 8 Brazilian Serie A titles, 22 São Paulo State Championships, 3 Copa Libertadores titles, and 2 Intercontinental Cup titles.
In 2002, Santos promoted young players due to a financial crisis, with stars like Robinho and Diego leading the team to their eighth Brazilian Serie A title in 2004. In 2009, Neymar and Ganso joined the team, winning the Brazilian Cup, and in 2011, they won the Copa Libertadores again, finishing as runners-up in the same year's Club World Cup. After that, the club faced financial issues, leading to the departure of several key players and a decline in performance. In 2023, Santos lost 1-2 to Fortaleza in the final round of the Brazilian Serie A, finishing in 17th place, marking the first relegation to the Brazilian Serie B in the club's 111-year history.
In 2024, Santos competed in the Brazilian Serie B for the first time, securing the championship two rounds early and successfully returning to the Brazilian Serie A. In the same year, the team reached the finals of the São Paulo State Championship. On January 31, 2025, the club announced Neymar's return, signing a five-month contract.