Santos pulled off one of the most dramatic escapes in recent Brazilian football history on Sunday, beating third-placed Cruzeiro 3–0 at Vila Belmiro to clinch their Serie A survival.
Neymar — emotional, limping and playing through a painful knee problem — was at the centre of the revival. Since returning to Santos in January, the 33-year-old delivered crucial late-season performances, including goals in a 3–0 win over Sport Recife, a hat-trick against Juventude, and a commanding display in the decisive victory over Cruzeiro.
Thaciano struck twice in the 26th and 28th minutes before J. Schmidt sealed the result on the hour mark, lifting Santos to 12th place with 47 points and sparing the club from a second relegation in its 111-year history.
Neymar, who featured in just 19 league matches but contributed eight goals, dropped to his knees at full-time, overwhelmed after weeks of playing through injury. He later admitted he would need knee surgery, telling Tribuna: “These have been tough weeks… I came to help the best way I can.”
Despite not being selected by Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti since May, his late-season form has renewed national interest. For Santos fans, the escape will be remembered as another chapter in Neymar’s enduring bond with the club he first left in 2013 before spells at Barcelona, PSG and Al-Hilal, where his contract was terminated in January 2025.
