RIO DE JANEIRO, June 24 (Xinhua) -- Neymar has extended his contract with Santos until December, the Brazilian Serie A club said on Tuesday.

The 33-year-old former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain forward returned to his boyhood club on a six-month deal in January after parting ways with Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal.

Brazil's all-time leading scorer had been linked with a move to Major League Soccer or a possible return to Europe before agreeing to remain at Santos until the end of the 2025 season.

"I made a decision and I listened to my heart," Neymar said in a statement on the club's website. "Santos is not just my team, it is my home, my roots, my history and my life.

"Here I was a boy who became a man, and I am truly loved. Here I can be myself, truly happy. And it is here that I want to fulfil the dreams that are missing in my career. And nothing will stop me. I go, I come back and I stay. Where it all began and where it will never end."

Neymar made his professional debut for Santos in 2009 and has made 243 appearances for the club, scoring 141 goals and providing 69 assists. Injuries have limited him to just 12 appearances this year for the eight-time Brazilian Serie A champions.

"It is a historic and remarkable day for Brazilian football, a gift for the fans of Santos FC," Santos president Marcelo Teixeira said.

"Our idol, our boy, the prince with our number 10 shirt remains. It is a very important moment in this reconstruction process and we needed Neymar, both on and off the field."

Neymar has scored 79 goals in 128 matches for Brazil but has not represented the five-time World Cup winners since suffering a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament against Uruguay in October 2023.