Neymar quiets the mocking crowd in Brazil with an incredible ‘Olimpico’ goal for Santos.

Neymar silenced the jeers of rival fans in spectacular fashion, scoring directly from a corner kick as Santos triumphed 3-0 over Internacional de Limeira. The Brazilian superstar, who recently made a return to his boyhood club, showcased his class and composure amidst the taunts from the home crowd.

In the eighth minute of the match, Neymar faced a barrage of boos as he prepared to take a corner. Initially, he appeared to have quieted the critics by assisting his teammate Tiquinho, who opened the scoring for Santos. However, the raucous crowd remained undeterred, continuing their jeers as Neymar approached the corner flag again in the 26th minute.

This time, the 33-year-old forward decided to take matters into his own hands. With a pinpoint strike, he sent the ball soaring over the outstretched arms of the goalkeeper and into the net via the far post, doubling Santos’ lead in a moment of pure brilliance.

“I went to take the corner, they provoked me,” Neymar explained after the match. “I asked them to sing louder, I struck the ball and got an assist. Then, the second time I went there, 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 Olimpico goal.”

Santos added a third goal before the break, once again from a Neymar corner, this time finding Tiquinho’s head from the opposite side. Since rejoining Santos in January, following an injury-plagued 18 months with Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia, Neymar has made a significant impact, scoring twice and providing three assists in just six Campeonato Paulista matches.

During his time in the Middle East, Neymar featured in seven matches across all competitions, netting only once. Remarkably, he has already clocked up 432 minutes for Santos, surpassing the 428 minutes he managed during his entire stint in Saudi Arabia.

After the match, Neymar took to social media to express his joy, stating: “My biggest joy is to play football.”

For those unfamiliar, a ‘Gol Olimpico’ is a goal scored directly from a corner kick without the ball touching another player. The term originated in South America, specifically from Brazil’s neighbours, Argentina. The first recorded Olimpico was netted by Cesareo Onzari during a friendly against Uruguay on October 2, 1924. This goal was particularly significant as it was scored against a team that had recently won the Olympic football title in Paris.

In the Premier League this season, we have witnessed similar feats, with Matheus Cunha scoring from a corner against Manchester United, just a week after Son Heung-min did the same in the Carabao Cup. Additionally, in the UEFA Champions League, former Chelsea forward Christian Pulisic scored from a corner in AC Milan’s 3-0 victory over Club Brugge.

Neymar’s return to form and his ability to respond to adversity with such flair is a testament to his enduring talent and passion for the game.