Brazilian football star Neymar returned to action for Santos, playing the full 90 minutes in a 1-0 home win over Atlético Mineiro at Vila Belmiro. The match marked his first full appearance since recovering from a knee injury, as he continues his push to regain form and fitness ahead of the World Cup. Despite not scoring, Neymar was active in attack and contributed to the team’s performance.

Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti signaled optimism about Neymar’s progress, saying the forward is on the right path and could improve further in the next two months. Neymar has around 11 matches to prove himself before Brazil’s World Cup squad is announced. His chances of making the tournament have reportedly risen from 37 percent to over 57 percent on prediction platform Polymarket.

Santos’ victory lifted them to 14th place in the league table with 13 points from 11 matches, while Atlético Mineiro remain eighth with 14 points. The club now faces a busy schedule with upcoming fixtures in both the Copa Sudamericana and the domestic league.