The little-known reason why Neymar's super rare goal for Santos is called an 'Olimpico'

Neymar is known for his eccentric playing style, and on Sunday, he rolled back the years when he scored an unusual goal for Santos against Internacional.

Neymar, 33, is one of the most recognisable players of the past two decades, having arguably shown his best form at Barcelona and PSG.

However, fans have been starved of his brilliance in recent years due to a culmination of injury problems.

Back in January, the Brazilian returned to his native country after a largely unsuccessful spell at Al-Hilal, where he made just seven appearances.

As you may have expected, his return to Santos has captured the imagination of fans and media alike. In his six appearances for the club, he has shown glimpses of his former self, with two goals and three assists.

He scored a penalty against Agua Santa to open his account on February 16, but his strike yesterday left fans stunned.

As Neymar walked towards the corner flag he was greeted by a chorus of boos from the home fans inside the Estádio Major José Levy Sobrinho in Sao Paulo.

Of course, the Brazilian played into this and appeared to cup his ear. Then, seconds later, he stepped up to take the corner with several of his teammates jostling for position inside the penalty area in the hope of heading the ball home.

But Neymar needed no assistance as his in swinging corner kick deceived Igo Pereira in the home side’s goal.

UGASUAGSDUASGDUAGSUDGA O NEYMAR METEU UM GOL OLÍMPICO! O ADM TÁ COMPLETAMENTE MALUCO! NÃO É POSSÍVEL! KKKKKKKKKKKKKK #Paulistão2025 pic.twitter.com/8S3vby2Npk

— TNT Sports BR (@TNTSportsBR) February 23, 2025

This type of goal is often dubbed as an ‘Olimpico’ and is rarely seen in the professional game. But where does the name originate?

Well, the reason for the unusual name dates back to 1924.

Cesareo Onzari scored directly from a corner for Argentina against reigning Olympic champions Uruguay.

The strike quickly became known as "Gol Olimpico" or "Olympic goal" in Spanish.

Initially, no one was quite sure if this type of goal was permitted, but it was later confirmed by the IFAB, the game’s lawmakers, that it is, in fact, a valid way of scoring a goal.

"A goal may be scored directly from a corner kick, but only against the opposing team; if the ball directly enters the kicker’s goal a corner kick is awarded to the opponents," the IFAB's rules explain.

Of course, such a goal is rare, and only a handful of players - including Thierry Henry and Son Heung-min - can say they have scored an ‘Olimpico’ during their careers.

Even Lionel Messi has failed to produce a goal directly from a corner.