“My heart is always Santos”

Before the match, Neymar received a tribute for scoring 50 goals and was applauded by fans who asked him to stay. Then, during the match, he showed quality in his passes and helped the team beat Cruzeiro (entered with the reserve) by 3-0. Peixe, who could have been relegated in case of defeat, with this triumph not only escaped but also climbed to 12th place and secured a place in the South American Championship. Not bad for such a complicated season.

At the end of the match, Neymar — who played 90 minutes — heard the chorus of “Stay, stay!” Again. But, in answering a question from the report,He did not specify whether he would remain at the club in 2026.

“I don’t know. Honestly, I don’t know. I asked you to wait for these matches, to wait for this end of the championship. I want to win a week here, to less, give a trip. Forget football, I’ll think about it later. But obviously my heart is still with Santos. And I will always give priority to Santos.”

Neymar says he was mentally ill: ‘No zero’

Regarding Peixe’s inconsistent campaign, Neymar made no secret of his relief at being able to help the team finish in a position that guarantees their participation in the continental competition.

“We managed, somehow, to play our football in the final stretch. We faced the best teams in the league. So, everyone should be congratulated for their efforts. But Santos deserve much more. They deserve to be at the top. I came for that, to try to help Santos in the best way possible.”

Neymar said he had rarely been under so much pressure and it had affected him. And there is no way to escape left knee arthroscopy.

“These last few weeks have been tough for me. Mentally, not physically. Mentally, it’s gone to zero. So, thanks to the people who were there at that time, they helped me somehow get back on my feet. And, without them, I would never play in these games. And, obviously, (I thank) God for keeping me from these injuries, from this knee problem that I had. Now, it’s time to rest mentally, which is the most important thing. And then I’m going to have this little operation to get back to 100%.

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