A few days ago it was announced that San Diego F.C. will soon land in Major League Soccer.
The team, an expansion franchise, would like to have Mexican Hugo Sánchez as technical director, but also goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa as its first captain.
It is worth noting that Hugo Sanchez has not managed a football team since the 2012 season and “Memo” Ochoa will not be with Salernitana in Italy next season. As a result, talk of a possible deal with San Diego FC, which will play its first season in MLS in 2025, has begun.
But Neymar is also on San Diego FC’s radar, according to POSTA Deportes. The Brazilian is undergoing rehabilitation after suffering a cruciate ligament tear last October during a World Cup 2026 qualifier between Uruguay and Brazil and is under contract with Al-Hilal until June 30, 2025.
However, rumours of his return to Brazil have also increased in recent days. The winger is looking to return to his origins and Santos could be, in the near future, his team.
According to UOL after the match between Santos and Palmeiras in the final of the Paulista Championship, Neymar went down to the locker room to give a speech to all the members of the squad and promised the players that he would return to Santos in 2025.
But, according to ‘Beting’, Neymar’s idea goes further. The Brazilian would not only want to return to play for the club of his life, he also wants to be the owner.
“The new MLS club for 2025, San Diego FC, owned by Egyptian-Englishman Sir Mohamed Mansour and Padres baseball player Manny Machado, is thinking about this combination: Hugo Sanchez as coach and Guillermo Ochoa as the first captain,” the journalist wrote on social media.
Hugo Sanchez, television commentator
Hugo had a stellar stint as a commentator for Televisa from 2000 to 2006, working on World Cups, Liga MX football finals and being the star of ‘La Jugada’.
During his time as a sports analyst he never turned down the chance to throw his name in the mix for a job with Real Madrid, Pumas or Cruz Azul.
Who is San Diego FC?
The new Major League Soccer franchise for the 2025 campaign will be San Diego FC. The owners of the organisation announced on October 20 the identity of the Californian team that will make its debut in the North American league.
Owned by British-Egyptian businessman Mohamed Mansour, who counts San Diego Padres star Manny Machado among his investors, it will be the 15th franchise in MLS’s Western Conference. Three signings have been confirmed so far: American goalkeeper Duran Ferree, plus two Danish players from Nordsjaelland, Marcus Ingvartsen and Jeppe Tverskov.