Neymar given standing ovation after playing and scoring through injury in crucial Santos win

A turbulent few days at Vila Belmiro came to an end with a scene only Neymar seemed capable of producing.

With Santos sliding dangerously close to the drop zone and tension gripping the squad, the club’s most influential figure of the modern era returned earlier than expected against Sport Recife – and changed the atmosphere instantly.

His comeback had been viewed as unlikely in the short term, perhaps even unlikely at all, given the injury concerns surrounding him.

But with Santos desperate, the forward made himself available, stepped into the starting lineup, and delivered the sort of moments supporters had been clinging to.

The stakes could hardly have been higher. Santos arrived for the fixture in 17th place in Serie A, occupying a position that threatened to push them into unfamiliar territory.

Across Brazil, reports stated that Neymar had effectively been ruled out for the remainder of the year. Club doctors had advised rest and rehabilitation, not a return to full competition.

But the player made a different choice, guided not by caution but by the emotional pull of the club where he first became a star. Against medical advice, he came back – and the game immediately shifted.

Midway through the opening half, the stadium exploded. Neymar drove forward during a fast break, stepped inside and drilled a shot into the near corner – a finish more reminiscent of a fully fit forward than someone carrying weeks of physical limitation. It was a reminder of why supporters never stopped believing.

His influence did not stop with the opener. Santos built momentum and the forward provided another huge attacking moment.

From a corner, his delivery found Joao Schmidt, who directed his header into the net.

It gives Santos breathing room heading into the final stretch, as Neymar looks to repay his boyhood club for all they have done for him.