Neymar meant to silence jeers by scoring directly from corner

Neymar revealed he meant to score directly from a corner for Santos, doing so in response to jeers from the opposing fans.

The Brazilian curled in a corner-kick from the left that caught out goalkeeper Igo Gabriel before bouncing in off the far post in the 27th minute.

His fantastic 27th-minute strike, which came in a 3-0 victory at Internacional de Limeira in the Paulista Championship, then drew cheers from the home crowd.

Neymar had also assisted Tiquinho Soares’ opening goal in the ninth minute, also from a corner, which had drawn boos from the stands.

“I went to take the [first] corner, they provoked me,” Neymar said after the game. “I asked them to sing louder, I struck the ball and got an assist.

“Then, the second time I went there [to the corner], they did it again, so I thought to myself: ‘Now I’m the one who’s going to score the goal’.

“I hit a great shot and managed to score my first “Olympic goal” [goal direct from a corner].”

763 – Neymar was directly involved in three goals against Inter de Limeira (1G + 2A), a feat he hadn’t reached in club matches in 763 days, since PSG’s win against Pays de Cassel in the Coupe de France (1G + 2A). Resurgence. pic.twitter.com/yMenEuCXZp

— OptaJoao (@OptaJoao) February 24, 2025

Neymar was directly involved in three goals against Inter de Limeira (one goal, two assists), a feat he had not reached in club matches in 763 days, since Paris Saint-Germain’s win against Pays de Cassel in the Coupe de France (one goal, two assists).

He has scored two goals in six appearances since rejoining his boyhood club on a six-month deal in January.

The 33-year-old was limited to just seven appearances during his 18-month spell at Al-Hilal due to injury and has not played for the Brazil national team since sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in October 2023.

Dorival Junior is set to name his Brazil squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Colombia and Argentina in early March, and Neymar, the Selecao’s all-time leading goalscorer, is hopeful of getting back into the squad.

“I’m going game by game, getting ready and feeling better on the field,” Neymar said.

“I’m not going back to being 19 years old, how much I miss it, but I feel better and more relaxed.

“Regarding the [Brazil] call-up, I’m there. Each player’s desire is to defend the country, and for me, it has always been an honour.

“I dedicated myself to the team to the fullest. I enjoy being there, representing Brazil. If I have the opportunity to return, I will be very happy.”