Santos defeated league-leading Flamengo 1–0 at Vila Belmiro on Wednesday, with Neymar scoring the only goal in the 83rd minute to cap his first full match since February. The 32-year-old forward collected a pass from Guilherme, slipped between Léo Pereira and Guillermo Varela and beat goalkeeper Agustín Rossi, delivering the club’s first win after the month-long recess for the Club World Cup. The strike was Neymar’s first in Brazil’s top flight since 2012 and pushed his career tally to 700 direct goal contributions—443 goals and 257 assists in 732 appearances, according to ESPN. After the match he called the victory “um novo começo” and said the performance proved Santos “pode jogar contra qualquer time.” Coach Cléber Xavier praised the player’s work rate, while Flamengo manager Filipe Luís acknowledged that Neymar is now “fisicamente no nível de Série A.” The result lifts Santos to 14th place on 14 points, easing immediate relegation concerns. Flamengo remain on 27 points but risk surrendering first place if Cruzeiro or Bragantino win their fixtures later in the round. Off the field, Neymar intervened when a home supporter insulted Flamengo right-back Danilo—who played for Santos in 2010-11—telling the crowd to “respeitar” the former teammate. The incident underscored the forward’s influence as he attempts to rebuild form ahead of the 2026 World Cup.