Neymar Scores Hat-trick to Rescue Santos from Relegation Trouble

Neymar's heroics secure Santos' Serie A survival

Neymar scores all three goals as Santos secure crucial win over Juventude to boost their chances of avoiding relegation in Serie A.

Neymar showed he was on top of his game, nearly scoring from midfield by taking advantage of...

Neymar scored a hat-trick to rescue Santos from relegation trouble in the Brazilian Serie A. The 33-year-old forward, who has been struggling with physical issues, played through a knee injury to score all three goals in Santos' 3-0 win over Juventude on Wednesday.

Santos climbed to 14th place in the Serie A table with 44 points, one point ahead of Ceara and Fortaleza, and two points clear of Vitoria, who are currently in 17th place. This win has boosted Santos' chances of avoiding relegation, with just one match left to play.

Neymar's hat-trick was his first since April 2022 and came despite him playing with a meniscus injury that will require surgery after the season. He scored his goals in a 17-minute spell, opening the scoring in the 56th minute, doubling the lead 10 minutes later, and completing his hat-trick from the penalty spot in the 73rd minute.

Santos will play their final match of the season on Sunday at home to Cruzeiro. With a better goal difference (-8 vs -18), they're looking to secure their spot in Serie A with a draw.

Juventude, currently second from bottom with 34 points, will face Corinthians away in their last match, fighting to stay in the top flight.

Neymar's Heroics

Neymar's ability to decide games was especially vital, as the match proved tough for Santos despite facing an opponent already relegated. The visitors managed just one shot in the first half hour and had to hold their breath while VAR reviewed Gabriel Taliari's goal, which was eventually ruled out for offside.

Neymar showed he was on top of his game, nearly scoring from midfield by taking advantage of Juventude goalkeeper Jandrei's advanced position. The visitors started to create more chances towards the end of the first half, and shortly after the break, the game opened up.

Neymar's first two goals came largely thanks to his movement. For the opener, he played the ball out left to Guilherme and sprinted into the box to finish first time. He repeated the trick for his second, getting in front of his marker to meet Yeferson Soteldo's pass and score.

𝐈𝐍𝐉𝐔𝐑𝐄𝐃 𝐍𝐄𝐘𝐌𝐀𝐑 𝐒𝐂𝐎𝐑𝐄𝐒 𝐀 𝐇𝐀𝐓-𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐊 🤯🤯🤯

CAN YOU IMAGINE SCORING A HAT-TRICK WHILE PLAYING THROUGH INJURY, JUST TO SAVE YOUR BOYHOOD CLUB? 🫨

Neymar is doing absolutely 𝑬𝑽𝑬𝑹𝒀𝑻𝑯𝑰𝑵𝑮 to keep Santos up 😍👑 pic.twitter.com/AbgXLFPhBw

— 433 (@433) December 4, 2025

For the second, he joined the counter-attack led by Igor Vinicius, broke behind the defence, and finished with his left foot. He also kept his cool to convert the penalty won by Lautaro Diaz.

With seven minutes left, Neymar was replaced by Thaciano and left the pitch to a standing ovation.

End of an Era?

Veteran Nene was also given a standing ovation as he left the field, having played for about an hour. The 44-year-old attacking midfielder has yet to decide what he'll do after his contract with Juventude ends.