Neymar scores twice, Santos beat Vasco to move off the bottom

Santos relied on Neymar's brilliance to achieve their first victory in the 2026 Brazilian Championship. This Thursday, Peixe defeated Vasco 2-1 at Vila Belmiro, in the fourth round of the tournament. The attacking midfielder scored two goals, one of which was a chip. On the other side, Barros scored for Vasco .

With the result, Santos moves up from the bottom and jumps to 13th place in Serie A, with four points. Vasco remains with one point, now in the last position.

Neymar was the standout player of the match. The Alvinegro Praiano's attacking midfielder scored two goals. The second goal was particularly impressive. Face to face with Léo Jardim, the star chipped the ball to score a stunning goal and secure the home team's victory.

Additionally, the 34-year-old player had a disagreement with Thiago Mendes. The two exchanged provocations, and the forward fell to the ground claiming he had been headbutted by the Vasco player. Referee Rafael Rodrigo Klein punished both with a yellow card.

Competition: Brazilian Championship (fourth round) Location: Vila Belmiro, in Santos (SP) Date: February 26, 2026 (Thursday) Time: at 7 PM (Brasília time) 👥 A ttendance: 8,808 💰 Re venue: R $ 539,319.33 🟨 Yel low Cards: Ne ymar (Santos); Thiago Mendes (Vasco) 🟥 Red Cards: Non e

Referee: Rafael Rodrigo Klein Assistants: Rafael da Silva Alves and Maira Mastella Moreira VAR: Rodrigo D Alonso Ferreira

⚽ Neymar , at 24' of the 1st half (Santos) ⚽ Barros, at 42' of the 1st half (Vasco) ⚽ Neymar , at 15' of the 2nd half (Santos)

Gabriel Brazão; Igor Vinícius, Adonis Frías, Luan Peres, and Vinicius Lira; Willian Arão (João Schmidt), Gabriel Bontempo (Zé Rafael), and Neymar ; Moisés (Rony), Thaciano (Gabriel Menino), and Miguelito (Barreal).

Léo Jardim; Paulo Henrique, Saldivia, Robert Renan, and Lucas Piton (Cuiabano); Cauan Barros, Thiago Mendes (Tchê Tchê), and Rojas (Marino Hinestroza); Andrés Gómez, Spinelli (David), and Nuno Moreira (Brenner).

With both teams under pressure, the game started very nervously at Vila Belmiro. Both teams made many mistakes, resulting in few real goal chances. The first dangerous attempt came from Vasco . After a pass from Thiago Mendes, Nuno Moreira found himself alone against Gabriel Brazão, who made the save.

Peixe, on the other hand, attacked at 25 minutes and was precise. In a quick counterattack, Moisés controlled the ball at the edge of the area and passed to Neymar on the left. The attacking midfielder shot with precision and opened the scoring.

Trailing, Vasco began to press and sought an equalizer at 42 minutes. After a mistake by Miguelito in ball clearance, Andrés Gómez sprinted to the area and crossed low for Barros, who finished past Brazão.

2nd half

After the break, Santos tried to create more chances. One minute in, Barreal was set up at the edge of the area and hit the post. Then, Thaciano tried his luck and shot wide.

At 15 minutes, Neymar's star shone again. After a pass from Arão, Vasco's defense got confused, and the number 10 was left free at the edge of the area. Face to face with Léo Jardim, the forward chipped the ball to score a stunning goal, putting Santos back in the lead.

From then on, Santos closed ranks to hold the result. Vasco , in turn, tried to press but lacked the strength to find an equalizer.

Match: Mirassol vs. Santos – 5th round of the Brazilian Championship Date: March 10 (Tuesday), at 9:30 PM (Brasília time) Location: Campos Maia Stadium, in Mirassol (SP)

Match: Fluminense vs. Vasco – return leg of the Carioca semi-final Date: March 1 (Sunday), at 6 PM (Brasília time) Location: Maracanã, in Rio de Janeiro (RJ)

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This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.