This diamond still shines every now and then

In the 18th round of the Brazilian championship, Santos defeated Juventude 3–1, but all eyes in the football world were on Neymar, who delivered his best performance since returning to his homeland.

The former Barcelona and PSG star scored twice—once in the 37th minute and again from the penalty spot in the 80th—leading Santos to a crucial win in their fight to climb out of the lower part of the table. Between Neymar's goals, Bareal extended the lead to 2–0 in the 40th minute, while Juventude pulled one back through Angel in first-half stoppage time.

What made this match special is the fact that Neymar scored two goals in a single game for the first time since August 2022, ending an almost three-year drought. Injuries and form issues had kept him out of rhythm for a long time, but today’s performance hinted at the return of the old Neymar—decisive, sharp, and ready to lead his team to victories.

While it’s clear Neymar is past his prime, there's no denying he remains a thrill to watch, especially when he's motivated and eager to compete. After all, that’s why he returned to Santos—to reignite his passion for football. That spark may have been missing until now, with just one goal all season before this match, but today… he gave us a glimpse of the Neymar who used to tear through defenses with ease.