Neymar scores twice as Santos bounce back to draw 2-2 with Flamengo in Brazilian Serie A clash

Neymar scored twice from the penalty spot as Santos recovered from a two-goal deficit to secure a 2-2 draw against Flamengo in the Brazilian Serie A at Vila Belmiro on Thursday. The forward came off the bench at half-time and scored twice in the closing stages to earn his side a point in gameweek 29 of the competition.

Flamengo had taken control of the contest before the break, with Danilo and Lucas Paquetá scoring in quick succession. However, Neymar's introduction changed the course of the match as Santos mounted a comeback against the league leaders.

The result also marked Neymar's return to competitive action after an injury layoff that had kept him out since 2 September.

The former Brazil international had been recovering from a muscle injury in his right thigh and had missed several matches before being included in Santos' squad for the Flamengo fixture.

Flamengo broke the deadlock in the 43rd minute through Danilo. The defender initiated the move before combining with Pedro, who returned the ball to him inside the penalty area. Danilo finished first to give the visitors the lead.

Lucas Paqueta doubled Flamengo's advantage in first-half stoppage time, scoring in the 49th minute after four minutes had been indicated as stoppage time in the first half. The goal left Santos facing a two-goal deficit at the interval.

Santos coach Cuca responded by introducing Neymar at half-time in place of Philippe Coutinho. Rony also came on for Álvaro Barreal as the hosts looked to find a way back into the contest.

Neymar reduced the deficit in the 81st minute, converting a penalty after a handball by Jorginho was identified following a VAR review. The incident also resulted in Jorginho receiving a red card, leaving Flamengo with 10 players.

The Santos forward stepped up again six minutes later, this time after Gabriel Barbosa, popularly known as Gabigol, was fouled in the penalty area. Neymar converted the second spot-kick to make it 2-2 and complete his brace.

Both goals came from penalties, with Neymar showing composure in the closing stages to bring Santos back into the game. Flamengo had held a two-goal lead at half-time but were unable to preserve it after the hosts' late response.

Neymar announced his retirement from international football in July 2026 following Brazil's round of 16 exit from FIFA World Cup 2026.

Neymar, who has had persistent injury issues over the years, played two matches in the 48-team tournament, and found the back of the net in Brazil's last 16 loss to Norway by converting a penalty.

Neymar, who broke Pele's record of 77 goals in 2023, finished his Brazil career with 80 goals in 130 appearances.

PN Vishnu is a contributor with the LiveMint Sports team, where he primarily covers cricket, football and other major sporting events. A passionate sports journalist with nearly a decade of experience in digital media, Vishnu has been an ardent follower of sports for more than 10 years. While he enjoys covering a wide range of disciplines, his biggest sporting passions remain cricket and football. He is also a devoted supporter of Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Indian Premier League and Manchester United in English football. <br><br> Vishnu pursued a Post Graduate Diploma in Journalism from the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), Chennai, in 2016 and graduated in 2017. Since then, he has built an extensive career in sports journalism, working with leading media organisations including Deccan Chronicle and Firstpost. In 2025, he worked for CricXtasy for six months before joining LiveMint in February 2026. <br><br> Over the years, he has reported extensively on marquee sporting events such as the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the Indian Super League (ISL). His reporting has also provided opportunities to interact with some of the game's leading personalities, including India cricketers Yuzvendra Chahal and Dhruv Jurel. <br><br> Away from the newsroom, Vishnu enjoys unwinding with books, discovering new music and binge-watching television series.