Soccer
RB Leipzig meet Santos in high-profile friendly on South American Tour
Old friends Neymar Jr and Xavi Simons will face-off for the friendly game between Brazilian legends Santos FC and Bundesliga contenders RB Leipzig. Here's what to expect from the match.
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RB Leipzig will become the first Bundesliga team to play on Brazilian soil in 25 years when they meet the legendary Santos FC – the club where the late Pelé spent nearly all of his career and where Neymar Jr began his career – in a friendly on Wednesday, May 28, at Red Bull Bragantino's Cicero de Souza Marques stadium.
Few players from outside South America have the chance to play a match in Brazil during their professional careers, making this a special occasion for the Bundesliga side and a fascinating clash of footballing cultures.
Catch the clash of footballing worlds live on Red Bull TV on Wednesday, May 28, from 9.55pm UTC.
Santos FC vs RB Leipzig livestream
Santos FC and RB Leipzig kick off a friendly football match at Red Bull Bragantino stadium, São Paulo, Brazil.
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Neymar Jr and Xavi Simons on opposite sides
Leipzig's Xavi Simons has long been an admirer of Neymar Jr and the match will see him face his idol as an opponent. The Dutchman was at Barcelona's renowned La Masia academy from 2010 to 2019, which coincided with Neymar's four years at the Catalan club. The pair also played together at Paris Saint-Germain.
Neymar Jr and Xavi Simons fighting for the ball during PSG training
© Aurelien Meunier - PSG/PSG via Getty Images
He already knew me from Barcelona and was like a father for me. I will be eternally grateful to him for that
"He already knew me from Barcelona and was like a father for me. I will be eternally grateful to him for that. It was a big dream to play with my idol and he's still an important person for me," said Simons, who visited Neymar’s institute for socially vulnerable children – the Instituto Projeto Neymar Jr – on Monday.
Neymar, who rejoined Santos in February, is still waiting for a call to return to the Brazilian national team for the first time since suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury in October 2023. He wasn't included in the squad named by the new Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti, having just recovered from a thigh injury. However, the Italian said there would be a place for him in the future.
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Happy return to Brazil for Lukas Klostermann
The Brazil tour has brought back stirring memories for Leipzig defender Lukas Klostermann, who won a silver medal with Germany at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. The match against Brazil – whose team included Neymar Jr – ended 1-1 at the Maracanã stadium, before the hosts won 4-2 on penalties. "The final at the Maracanã was the best game I've played in. It still gives me goosebumps today," said Klostermann. That was the last match played by any German team on Brazilian soil.
Michael Olise of Bayern Munich under pressure from Lukas Klostermann
© Maja Hitij/Getty Images
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Different football cultures, but similar styles
While RB Leipzig's Bundesliga season has already finished, the Brazilian season is just warming up. The Brazilian championship, or simply Brasileirão, follows the calendar year and got underway in April. It was preceded by the state championships – a feature unique to Brazil – which are played from late January to April, with Santos reaching the semi-finals of the Paulista championship.
Brazil is an exporter of football talent and the Santos squad contains players from only three countries – Brazil itself, plus Argentina and Venezuela. In contrast, the RB Leipzig squad includes players from 10 different countries: Germany, Netherlands, France, Norway, Mali, Serbia, Denmark, Belgium, Austria and Slovenia.
Joao Schmidt of Santos Futebol Clube celebrates after scoring goal
© Rebeca Schumacker/GocherImagery/Future Publishing via Getty Images
The teams may have more in common on the pitch. Santos coach Cléber Xavier prefers a vertical style of play with rapid transitions, while defensively he emphasises high pressing and quick ball recovery. He varies the team's tactical setups based on an analysis of the opponent and adapts to exploit specific weaknesses in the opposition, making his team unpredictable and versatile.
The Santos team consists of a mixture of young talents and seasoned professionals. Defensive midfielder Tomás Rincón, 37, is a familiar name to Bundesliga fans, having made over 100 appearances for Hamburger SV, and Gonzalo Escobar has been excellent at left back while the team looks to Guilherme for goals.
The youngsters include right back JP Chermont and Luca Meirelles, who already has experience for the Brazil U17 team, and forward Deivid Washington, on loan from Chelsea.
Ridle Baku of RB Leipzig celebrates with Xavi Simons after scoring
© Maja Hitij/Getty Images
Like Santos FC, RB Leipzig is a club with a proud record of developing young talent and the teams favours a high-tempo style with aggressive pressing and quick transitions.
The Red Bulls, whose team includes player such as Loïs Openda, Xavi Simons, Benjamin Sesko, Yussuf Poulsen, Christoph Baumgartner, David Raum and Nicolas Seiwald, are already looking ahead to next season after missing out on European football. "We need to freshen up the squad. We want to add leaders and key players to the team. It's important that we find a good mix of talented and experienced players. We fell apart too often during tough times last season and threw away leads too easily," said coach Zsolt Löw.
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Two newcomers to the role of head coach
Both head coaches are new to the role after spending most of their careers as assistants. Santos FC's Cléber Xavier was appointed to his first head coach position one month ago at the age of 61, after 24 years as assistant to Tite that including six with the Brazilian national team that took him to two World Cups. He also worked with Tite at some of Brazil's biggest clubs, including Grêmio, Corinthians, Atlético Mineiro and, most recently, Flamengo. He went solo last year, when Tite took a break from coaching.
Neymar Jr drives the ball against Matheus Fernandes
© Miguel Schincariol/Getty Images
Inevitably, the comparison with Tite was one of the first questions he had to face after being appointed. "It's been 24 years of partnership, the guy who gave me all the trust, the guy with whom I have a very strong relationship and who gave me all the space to develop together with him, the command of big teams and the Brazilian national team," he said. "But I'm not afraid. I have nothing to fear."
Zsolt Löw has been in his new role for just under two months, having enjoyed a long period as assistant to Thomas Tuchel. The two worked together at Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and FC Bayern Munich and he's known the current England manager since the two played together at Mainz 05 in 2009. "There was chemistry between us even when I was a player at Mainz in 2009. We're on the same wavelength," he said.
Löw, who also has experience under Ralph Hasenhüttl and Ralf Rangnick, has taken over on an interim basis, and the match in Bragança Paulista is his last in charge.
Zsolt Löw of RB Leipzig gestures during the 1st Bundesliga match
© NurPhoto/gettyimages
05
Two clubs with contrasting histories
Founded in 1912, Santos FC is invariably associated with Pelé, who spent nearly all of his career at the club. He joined the club as a 15-year-old in 1956 and spent 18 years there, helping them win, among other things, the Copa Libertadores twice, the Brazilian championship six times and the Paulista championship on 10 occasions. Santos also went on numerous tours abroad, always with Pelé as the star attraction.
Although they've never enjoyed the same level of success since he left, they won the Brazilian championship again in 2002 and 2004, the Libertadores in 2011 and the Paulista seven more times. They've also continued to develop world-class players like Neymar Jr, Zé Roberto and current Real Madrid player Rodrygo. Santos were relegated to the second division for the first time in 2023, but bounced back at the first attempt last year.
In contrast, RB Leipzig were founded in 2009 in the fifth tier of German football. Successive promotions took them to the Bundesliga by 2016. RB Leipzig won their first major honour, the German Cup, in 2022. They retained the title the following year and have become regulars in Europe.
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