SAO PAULO — On Sunday, Santos secured its place in Brazil‘s Serie A by defeating Cruzeiro 3-0, while the 33-year-old soccer icon Neymar announced he will undergo surgery on his left knee.
In their final league match of the season, Santos, a club renowned for its history with the legendary Pelé, avoided facing its second relegation ever. The team had been relegated in 2023, marking its first drop in the year following Pelé’s passing.
Neymar has been working to recover from a torn ACL he suffered in October 2023 during a World Cup qualifying match against Uruguay. Nonetheless, he played a pivotal role in helping Santos evade relegation in the Brazilian league after their promotion last year.
Returning to Santos in January, Neymar made a significant impact at the club where he began his professional career. In the last three matches of the season, he scored against Sport Recife in a 3-0 victory, netted a hat trick against Juventude, also winning 3-0, and acted as an effective playmaker against Cruzeiro.
Goals from Thaciano (in the 26th and 28th minutes) and João Schmidt (60th minute) led Santos to a 3-0 victory at Vila Belmiro Stadium, finishing the season in 12th place with 47 points. Despite injuries limiting him to just 19 appearances this season, Neymar managed to score eight goals.
“I came here to help in any way I could. It’s been a tough few weeks for me,” Neymar remarked after the match. “I’m grateful to those who supported and lifted me up. Without them, I wouldn’t have been able to play due to these injuries and my knee problems. I need to rest, and then we’ll address the surgery.”
Neymar offered no further details about his knee injury or the upcoming surgery but expressed hope of being selected for Brazil’s final roster for the 2026 World Cup, even though coach Carlo Ancelotti has yet to include him since taking charge in May. The manager indicated that Neymar would be considered if fit.
In other news, Flamengo claimed their ninth Brazilian league title with a 1-0 win over Ceara this past week, adding to their recent Copa Libertadores victory.
This report includes information from The Associated Press.