BlueCo, QSI & Neymar Jr Sports Join Race for 90% Ownership of Santos FC

Santos FC Sale Attracts Global Giants: BlueCo, QSI, and Neymar Jr Sports in the Mix for 90% Stake.

Brazilian club Santos FC, birthplace of legends like Pelé and Neymar, is on the verge of a transformative sale, with its board exploring the privatization of up to 90% of its shares amid crippling debts exceeding €150 million and a looming relegation battle in Série A. Multiple international powerhouses have expressed serious interest, including BlueCo (owners of Chelsea and Strasbourg), Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) (controllers of PSG), and Neymar Jr Sports (the company co-owned by Santos icon Neymar and his father), according to reports from Brazilian and European media outlets like ParisTeam, Foot Mercato, and Marca.

Santos FC

The club’s financial woes stemming from unpaid debts to former players, failed sponsorships, and a poor on-pitch season have forced president Marcelo Teixeira to hire lawyer Rodrigo Monteiro de Castro to oversee the process. Santos, currently 16th in Série A with just one point above the relegation zone, returned to the top flight in 2025 but faces another drop after a nightmare campaign, exacerbated by Neymar’s underwhelming homecoming in January.

BlueCo held informal meetings during the FIFA Club World Cup in the US, viewing Santos as a key addition to their multi-club model for scouting South American talent at lower costs, similar to signings like Estevão Willian and Andrey Santos. QSI, leveraging their PSG network, sees an opportunity to expand in Brazil, while Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) is also monitoring. Neymar Jr Sports, which recently acquired the Pelé brand for €15.5 million, has shown preliminary interest through informal channels, though no formal agreements exist yet. A Neymar-led bid would be unprecedented—a current player owning a majority stake in his boyhood club.

If approved, the sale could value Santos at €1 billion or more, injecting vital funds to stabilize the three-time Copa Libertadores winners. However, any deal requires member approval, and fans are divided: some welcome investment to halt decline, others fear loss of the club’s soul. As talks progress, the outcome could redefine Santos’ future and Brazilian football’s global ties.