Rigoni nets first goal in São Paulo return: "Just what I needed" | OneFootball

Emiliano Rigoni left the field with a grin from ear to ear after scoring the second goal in São Paulo’s victory over Juventude, 2-1, this Sunday at Vila Belmiro, in Santos, for the 35th round of the Brazilian Championship.

Coming on in the final stretch of the match, the Argentine forward made the most of the few minutes he had on the field to help Tricolor secure three precious points in the Brasileirão and keep fighting for the much-dreamed-of spot in the pre-Libertadores.

“Very happy. My teammates know how hard I work every day for the team, for myself, that I hadn’t been able to score and that’s what I needed. I really value this goal because it gives me confidence. Happy, because we got three points, we needed to win. So, I’m happy,” Rigoni told Premiere.

With his loan valid only until the end of the current season, it is unlikely the Argentine will remain at São Paulo for 2026. Rigoni is one of the most criticized players by a large part of the fans, but at least he was able to make a difference this Sunday.

Now São Paulo shifts its focus to the next match, on Thursday, against Fluminense, at Maracanã, at 8:30 pm (Brasília time). There are only three rounds left until the end of the Brazilian Championship, and Tricolor hopes to finish among the top eight to, who knows, compete in the 2026 Libertadores.

To achieve this goal, São Paulo not only needs to finish the Brasileirão among the top eight, but also root for Fluminense or Cruzeiro to win the Copa do Brasil. That way, the current G7 would become G8, and Tricolor would then enter the group of teams qualified for the next edition of the Libertadores.

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