Neymar gave Santos a huge lift in its battle to avoid relegation. He scored a hat-trick in a 3-0 win over Juventude on Wednesday. His goals came in the second half and changed the match in a short spell of 17 minutes.
He played through pain. He is dealing with a meniscus injury in his left knee and will likely need surgery after the season. Even then, he stayed on the field and helped the team. He also played the previous two matches while taking careful treatment to control the injury.
This was his first hat-trick since April 2022, when he scored three for Paris Saint-Germain against Clermont. His first goal came in the 56th minute from a fast counter. Soon after, he scored again from an Igor Vinícius cross. He got his third from the penalty spot before he left the field in the 83rd minute.
The win pushes Santos further away from the drop zone. They now sit two points above Vitória with one match left. They will face Cruzeiro at Vila Belmiro on Sunday. A win will secure their place in the first division.
Juventude had already been relegated before this match. This was their fourth loss in the final rounds.
Neymar has faced many injuries in recent years. Still, he hopes to play for Brazil in next summer’s World Cup. Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti has said he will consider Neymar if the forward is fully fit.
