After scoring a brace on his return to the Santos lineup, Neymar drew attention with a poker-playing celebration, hitting back at criticisms directed at the forward.
After the Brazil national team was eliminated from the 2026 World Cup, Neymar had not yet returned to playing or training for Santos. The forward was granted rest by his parent club to recover his physical condition following an injury.
During his time on leave, Neymar appeared at a poker tournament. This action made the forward born in 1992 the focus of criticism. Fans believed that Santos was wasting salary on a player who contributed as little as Neymar.
Finally, the 34-year-old striker returned on the day Santos faced Chapecoense. Neymar made his mark with a brace helping Santos hold their opponent to a 2-2 draw. The forward’s subsequent celebration once again became the center of criticism.
After scoring, Neymar mimicked a card-dealing motion, an action directly referencing the criticisms surrounding his participation in a poker tournament on the day Santos played in the Copa Sudamericana round of 32 against UCV FC (4-1).
The Brazilian star then continued his celebration by using the corner flag post like a golf club. Not stopping there, according to information from GE, the star player was reportedly said to have reprimanded the young players in the team during halftime.
Immediately afterward, Neymar spoke out to deny it. On his Instagram account, Neymar wrote: “This is not the Sunday we wanted, but life goes on, stay strong and keep working.
One more thing. I saw some information circulating about me reprimanding young players in the dressing room, which is completely untrue. Whoever spread that information, please don’t do that. Don’t do that, don’t lie.
