'He'll be a great player!' - Ex-Man City and Real Madrid star's son tipped for incredible future amid 17-year-old's bright start at Neymar's Santos
Former Real Madrid and Manchester City star Robinho's 17-year-old son has been backed to have an incredible future after starring for Santos in the Brazilian Serie A. Robinho Junior made his debut for the club in the 2025-26 campaign and is slowly becoming an important figure in the Santos attack alongside Selecao legend Neymar.Like his father, Robinho Junior came through the ranks of Santos' youth side before making his senior professional debut for the club in the 2025-26 campaign. At just 17 years of age, it is understandable that his game time has been limited as he appeared in nine league matches for Santos and made his first start only a week back against rivals Palmeiras. While Santos lost the game 2-0, the young forward remained on the pitch until the 65th minute and impressed with his technical consistency and ability to participate in the team's offensive plays.Despite the loss in the derby, Santos boss Juan Pablo Vojvoda spoke highly of Robinho Junior's abilities on the pitch, as he told reporters: "I liked his first half performance, but we didn't have as much possession in the second half. He played a decent game, especially considering it was his first as a starter. He'll continue to grow. I spoke with him and told him he'll be a great player. He needs more statistics, assists, goals, but he's on the right track."Robinho was convicted in 2017 for the role that he played in the gang rape of an Albanian woman celebrating her 23rd birthday at a Milan nightclub in 2013, with that sentence upheld by the Italian Court of Cassation in January 2022. Robinho was playing for AC Milan at the time of the alleged incident. The 41-year-old has been kept at Tremembe prison, 150km from Sao Paulo, since March 2024. He has always maintained his innocence, with legal representatives lodging a release request on his behalf. However, the former player's appeal was knocked back by authorities in Brazil following a vote that ruled 10-1 in favour of keeping Robinho behind bars. A vote in November last year upheld the validity of Robinho’s sentence being transferred from Italy to Brazil.Speaking to CNN Brasil, Justice Luiz Fux said: "The declaration of opposition is only admissible when there is ambiguity, obscurity, contradiction or omission in the sentence or ruling, as provided for in article 619 of the CPP. The defence is unreasonable. The Plenary of this Supreme Court, by majority, expressly rejected, in this specific case, the principle of non-retroactivity provided for in Article 5, XL, of the Federal Constitution, considering it inapplicable in the present case."Neymar, who returned to his boyhood club in January this year, is nearing the end of the contract and Santos aren't fully convinced about offering the star player an extension after he struggled with fitness and form throughout the year. Speaking on Neymar's renewal, club president Teixeira said: "The Neymar project isn’t for six months or a year. It’s for the 2026 World Cup. Santos knew how they would treat Neymar, the investment made. It’s a high investment. Santos and Neymar evaluate the situation periodically. We evaluated it when he came, and that evaluation isn't the same as today's. And the financial situation will be evaluated by both parties until the end of the year. He's not worried about the finances. And Santos has a limit. Neymar’s project is the 2026 World Cup. If we find common ground, his continuity will be confirmed. As long as Santos and Neymar, who have a strong and positive understanding of trust, reach a common ground. I believe we will resolve this situation at the right time."Brazil boss Carlo Ancelotti also addressed his concerns about Neymar's physical condition, saying that he will have to play in a more central role as he is no longer able to keep up with the demands of a winger.
Former Real Madrid and Manchester City star Robinho's 17-year-old son has been backed to have an incredible future after starring for Santos in the Brazilian Serie A. Robinho Junior made his debut for the club in the 2025-26 campaign and is slowly becoming an important figure in the Santos attack alongside Selecao legend Neymar.Like his father, Robinho Junior came through the ranks of Santos' youth side before making his senior professional debut for the club in the 2025-26 campaign. At just 17 years of age, it is understandable that his game time has been limited as he appeared in nine league matches for Santos and made his first start only a week back against rivals Palmeiras. While Santos lost the game 2-0, the young forward remained on the pitch until the 65th minute and impressed with his technical consistency and ability to participate in the team's offensive plays.Despite the loss in the derby, Santos boss Juan Pablo Vojvoda spoke highly of Robinho Junior's abilities on the pitch, as he told reporters: "I liked his first half performance, but we didn't have as much possession in the second half. He played a decent game, especially considering it was his first as a starter. He'll continue to grow. I spoke with him and told him he'll be a great player. He needs more statistics, assists, goals, but he's on the right track."Robinho was convicted in 2017 for the role that he played in the gang rape of an Albanian woman celebrating her 23rd birthday at a Milan nightclub in 2013, with that sentence upheld by the Italian Court of Cassation in January 2022. Robinho was playing for AC Milan at the time of the alleged incident. The 41-year-old has been kept at Tremembe prison, 150km from Sao Paulo, since March 2024. He has always maintained his innocence, with legal representatives lodging a release request on his behalf. However, the former player's appeal was knocked back by authorities in Brazil following a vote that ruled 10-1 in favour of keeping Robinho behind bars. A vote in November last year upheld the validity of Robinho’s sentence being transferred from Italy to Brazil.Speaking to CNN Brasil, Justice Luiz Fux said: "The declaration of opposition is only admissible when there is ambiguity, obscurity, contradiction or omission in the sentence or ruling, as provided for in article 619 of the CPP. The defence is unreasonable. The Plenary of this Supreme Court, by majority, expressly rejected, in this specific case, the principle of non-retroactivity provided for in Article 5, XL, of the Federal Constitution, considering it inapplicable in the present case."Neymar, who returned to his boyhood club in January this year, is nearing the end of the contract and Santos aren't fully convinced about offering the star player an extension after he struggled with fitness and form throughout the year. Speaking on Neymar's renewal, club president Teixeira said: "The Neymar project isn’t for six months or a year. It’s for the 2026 World Cup. Santos knew how they would treat Neymar, the investment made. It’s a high investment. Santos and Neymar evaluate the situation periodically. We evaluated it when he came, and that evaluation isn't the same as today's. And the financial situation will be evaluated by both parties until the end of the year. He's not worried about the finances. And Santos has a limit. Neymar’s project is the 2026 World Cup. If we find common ground, his continuity will be confirmed. As long as Santos and Neymar, who have a strong and positive understanding of trust, reach a common ground. I believe we will resolve this situation at the right time."Brazil boss Carlo Ancelotti also addressed his concerns about Neymar's physical condition, saying that he will have to play in a more central role as he is no longer able to keep up with the demands of a winger.
