Santos Secures Serie A Spot with 3-0 Win Over Cruzeiro

Santos secured its place in Brazil's Serie A on Sunday with a 3-0 victory over Cruzeiro, thanks in part to the efforts of star forward Neymar, who played through a knee injury before confirming plans for upcoming surgery.

The 33-year-old Brazilian, who rejoined his boyhood club in January after an injury-plagued stint at Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal where he made just seven appearances over 18 months, proved decisive in the club's survival bid. Santos, which earned global fame through legends like Pele and suffered its first-ever relegation in 2023 shortly after his death, had been promoted back to the top flight last season and faced the threat of a second drop. Neymar featured in 19 of the 38 league matches, scoring eight goals overall, including five in the final four games along with one assist. His contributions helped lift the team from the relegation zone to a 12th-place finish with 47 points.

In the season-ending match at Vila Belmiro Stadium, goals from Thaciano in the 26th and 28th minutes and Joao Schmidt in the 60th sealed the win, with Neymar playing all 90 minutes despite ongoing pain from a knee issue stemming from a torn anterior cruciate ligament he suffered...