Neymar Jnr found himself embroiled in a fiery clash with a fan in the wake of Santos’ 1-1 draw with Paraguayan side Recoleta, as the clock ticks down on his hopes of making Carlo Ancelotti’s World Cup squad.
The talismanic Brazil star was omitted from the Italian manager’s squad for the final international break ahead of the North American tournament this summer, but remains hopeful of breaking into the team four years after featuring for the Selecao in Qatar.
But as the pressure on his club performances ramps up with just two months to go until the competition, tensions appeared to bubble over after his side’s stalemate in the Copa Sudamericana on Tuesday evening.
In footage captured by ESPN, Neymar was incensed by criticism from the stands which appeared to suggest he had shown a lack of effort.
The 34-year-old repeatedly pointed to the crest of his boyhood club on his chest, and said: ‘I respect this, I respect this a lot’.
But as the confrontation became more heated, Neymar attacked one fan, saying: ‘You should train more. You’re a fat b*****d!’
‘Do I have to do everything myself? Shut your f***ing mouth, please!’ Neymar continued as he made his way to the barrier separating the stand from the pitch. ‘How do you expect me to respect you if you don’t respect me?’
The former Barcelona star added sarcastically that he hoped the fan was grateful to have been given his ‘minute of fame’.
Club and tournament officials attempted to lead the player away, but struggled as he looked to have the last word.
Speaking after the match, Neymar confirmed that he had taken umbrage with the personal nature of the attacks from the stadium’s VIP section.
‘I retorted because of the way he spoke to me,’ Neymar told reporters in the mixed zone. ‘I understand the fans who criticise our game, but when it becomes personal, I won’t accept it.
‘I’m consistent, I do more than I should, and I can’t be treated this way. I’m not saying I can’t be criticised for what I do on the field, but I won’t accept it off the field. Fans get upset when they come away with a draw. We do too.
‘I’m upset about everything, about what I’ve heard from some fans. It wasn’t about my performance, it was about me personally, about what the media posts, about the things that come out in the media.
‘Fans go too far, they insult me in a different way and I get upset. I give my life for this club, I do more than I should and I won’t accept being treated this way.’
Following a difficult spell at Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal hampered by injury, Neymar returned to his home country – and the club where his electric talent first received global recognition – in January 2025.
The former Paris Saint-Germain star signing will have hoped that sustained playing time would in turn pave his return to the international side, but Ancelotti faces a challenging decision ahead of June over whether he should take arguably Brazil’s biggest name to camp with him.
Debate in Brazil over whether Neymar should be included in the former Real Madrid manager’s World Cup squad has reached such heights that this week, the country’s President Lula admitted he had been questioned over the decision.
‘I had the chance to speak with Ancelotti, and he asked me: “Do you think Neymar should be called up?”‘ Lula said during a live broadcast on his YouTube channel.
‘I said: “Look, Ancelotti, if he’s physically fit, he’s got the football. What I need to know is whether he actually wants it.”
‘If he does, then he has to be professional. He can look at someone like Cristiano Ronaldo, he can look at Messi, and still go to the national team, because he’s not old yet.
‘But he can’t expect to go just on his name. He has to earn it on the pitch.’
