Neymar’s brace sends hopeful signals for return to national team with Santos victory

At São Paulo’s Morumbi Stadium today, Brazilian star Neymar delivered a spectacular performance in Santos’ 3-1 win over Juventude in the Brazilian Serie A. Before the match, Neymar kissed his daughter Mavie and then stepped onto the pitch, immediately becoming the center of attention throughout the game.

In the first half, Neymar scored in the 37th minute, followed closely by Argentine winger Álvaro Barreal’s goal at the 40th minute, putting Santos ahead. Juventude pulled one back during stoppage time before halftime. In the second half, Neymar converted a penalty in the 80th minute to secure his second goal of the match.

With this victory, Santos climbed to 15th place in the league table with 18 points from 17 matches. These two goals mark Neymar’s first brace since rejoining Santos.

After the match, the 33-year-old forward expressed optimism about a potential return to the national team ahead of September’s World Cup qualifiers against Chile and Bolivia. “Everyone knows my style of play. I’m feeling good now. The decision is in their hands,” Neymar said.

Brazil’s director Rodrigo Caetano and coaching staff member Cristiano Nunes watched Neymar’s performance live. Besides the two remarkable goals, Neymar created several other chances.

Neymar last played for Brazil in October 2023 against Uruguay but was sidelined for over a year due to a knee injury. Although he was included in the June squad after his return to fitness, he didn’t play. His current form has sparked hope that he will don the Brazilian jersey again.

If all goes well, Neymar could return to the national team on September 5 in Rio de Janeiro against Chile and on September 10 in El Alto against Bolivia. The football world now eagerly awaits September to see if Neymar will make his comeback.