Neymar accomplished a feat more akin to folklore on Wednesday as he scored a hat-trick in Santos’ 3-0 victory against Juventude which might’ve saved his boyhood club from relegation.

The 33-year-old Brazilian icon has been playing injured with a meniscus problem that will require surgery. Despite being told by doctors not to play, Neymar is refusing to see Santos get relegated and is playing through the pain for the final games of the season.

Neymar's injury woes continued on Wednesday when the Santos forward left the pitch in tears due to a left thigh problem in the first half of their 2-0 win over Atletico Mineiro in Brazil's Serie A.

The 33-year-old sustained a serious knee injury in a World Cup qualifier against Uruguay in October 2023 and has struggled to return to full fitness, though his recent form at Santos was rewarded with a call-up to the Brazil squad in March.

Pelé's former club Santos were relegated for the first time in their 111-year history on Wednesday following a 2-1 home loss to Fortaleza in the final round of Brazil's Serie A.

The costal city team were one of three clubs, along with Sao Paulo and Flamengo, never to have been relegated from Brazil's top flight but a woeful run of five games without a victory saw them drop to 17th in the standings with 43 points.

America Mineiro, Coritiba and Goias had already been assured of relegation from the 20-team division.

SANTOS, Brazil - Emotional crowds bid Brazil soccer legend Pelé a final farewell on Tuesday, lining the streets of Santos to watch his coffin taken to its final resting place from the city's stadium where 230,000 mourners had filed past his open casket.

Young and old embraced as the funeral procession wound its way through the costal city's streets for hours, with some fans in tears and others cheering and drumming for a national hero who rose from barefoot poverty to become one of the greatest and best-known athletes in modern history.

SANTOS, Brazil - The Brazilian coastal city of Santos, which sporting giant Pelé turned into a byword for soccer brilliance during a glittering club career, prepared to bid goodbye to its hero on Monday with a 24-hour wake.

A memorial will be held for Pelé, who died on Thursday at the age of 82 after battling colon cancer, at the Vila Belmiro stadium, the home of Santos Football Club.

"The expectation is huge, the whole world will be here," said local fan Roberto Santos. "Pelé needs no presentation. Pelé for us is everything."

Edson Arantes do Nascimento, Pelé, ha muerto hoy a los 82 años.

Para muchos, O Rei fue el mejor jugador en la historia del fútbol, por lo que su partida deja un legado difícil de borrar entre quienes aman el deporte.

Pelé alcanzó la fama apenas con 17 años, al convertirse en una de las estrellas con que Brasil obtuvo el Mundial de 1958. Y de ahí en adelante seguiría escribiendo historia con letras doradas.