Santos secured a 2-0 victory over Red Bull Bragantino on Sunday (10) at Vila Belmiro, in a match corresponding to the 15th round of the Brazilian Championship. Neymar opened the scoring in the first half, giving the team a crucial win that lifted them to 18 points and provided some relief in their fight against relegation. Adonis Frías doubled the lead in the second half to seal the result.
Although Neymar’s overall performance was not particularly outstanding, his goal comes just days before the Brazilian national team’s World Cup squad announcement. Coach Carlo Ancelotti is set to reveal the final list on the 18th. Until then, Neymar has two more matches with Santos, both against Coritiba: a Copa do Brasil away fixture on Wednesday (13) and a Brasileirão home game on the following Sunday (17).
The 34-year-old attacking midfielder has not played for the national team since October 2023, when he suffered a left knee injury during Brazil’s 2–0 defeat to Uruguay in Montevidéu. His goal on Sunday came via a left-footed finish after a clever dummy from Rollheiser, marking his sixth goal of the season, four of which have been in the league.
During the celebration, Neymar embraced his mother Nadine, who was watching from a box at Vila Belmiro. All Santos players wore their respective mothers’ names on their shirts as a tribute to Mother’s Day.
The win was sealed in the second half when Adonis Frías, at the 30-minute mark, capitalized on a rebound inside the box and fired a cross-shot to double Santos’ lead and set the final score.
For the team from Bragança Paulista, the defeat left them with 20 points, further away from the top four. São Paulo, currently in fourth place, sits with 24 points. Red Bull Bragantino will return to action on Wednesday against Mirassol in the Copa do Brasil at Estádio José Maria de Campos Maia, after a 1–1 draw in the first leg.
