Neymar sent off after trying to score with his hand

Neymar returned to the starting lineup on Sunday for Santos in the Brazilian League after a month out due to injury, but did not finish the match, as he was sent off in the 76th minute after sending the ball with his hand into the back of the Botafogo net.

The former Barcelona and PSG player already had a yellow card for a hard foul in the first half and the referee did not hesitate to show him the second one when he threw himself towards the ball to head it, but when he saw that he did not reach it, he hit it with his hand.

Five minutes after the sending-off, almost at the end of the match, Artur scored for Botafogo to give them a 1-0 victory, a result that took the Carioca team to eighth place, with 15 points, and left Santos in the relegation zone, with eight.

Since the Brazilian Championship began last March 29th, Neymar, 33, had so far only played in three of the ten matches played by Santos. The rest have been recovering from recurring injuries.

Sunday's match was the penultimate one before the end of his contract, which expires on June 30th, and it is not yet known if he will be renewed or if there are negotiations in that regard.

If there is no renewal, he would only have one match left, against Fortaleza on June 12th, after which the championship will take a break due to the Club World Cup.  But that match is now also in doubt, as he will surely receive at least a one-day suspension for his sending-off on Sunday.

 

June 1, 2025