Neymar steps up with heroic hat-trick, gives Santos crucial win in battle to avoid relegation

Neymar became the hero tonight, leading Santos with a hat-trick to a crucial road victory against Juventude to stay alive in the fight to avoid relegation to the second division of Brazilian soccer.

With this important triumph, Santos climbed to 14th place in the standings with 44 points, pulling clear of the relegation zone. In the final matchday, they will face Cruzeiro, where they will have a strong chance to remain in the top flight regardless of the result.

The former Barcelona forward appeared when his team needed him most, and his feat is even more valuable knowing he played the entire match dealing with a meniscus injury.

The Brazilian star is currently enjoying a strong spell of form, having scored five goals and delivered one assist in the last four matches, piloting Santos to three victories and one draw.

Neymar wants to play in the 2026 FIFA World Cup

Brazil head coach, Carlo Ancelotti, has left Neymar out of the most recent National Team call-ups due to the forward dealing with physical issues. The Italian manager made it clear that the Santos star, like any other player, must be at 100% to be considered for selection.

“Neymar? He has to be at 100%. There are many very good players, I need to choose players who are at 100%. It’s not just Neymar, it could be Vinícius. If Vinícius is at 90%, I will call up another player who is at 100%, because it is a team with an extremely high level of competition, especially in attack. In attack, we have many very good players,” Ancelotti indicated in his interview with Esporte Record of TV Record.

The Santos star has recently been dealing with left knee meniscus problems, but his recent performances demonstrate that Neymar is still capable of leading his team to victory, even while managing physical issues.

With less than seven months remaining until the start of the 2026 World Cup, Ancelotti will have to consider whether the best decision is to leave the Santos star out of the squad or give him an opportunity in what could be his final appearance in a World Cup.