June 02, (THEWILL) – Neymar was sent off during Santos’ 1–0 defeat to Botafogo on Sunday after attempting to score with his hand in the closing minutes of the Brazilian Serie A match. The 33-year-old forward, making his first start since returning from injury, received a second yellow card for the offence, which drew immediate protests from Botafogo players and led to his dismissal by referee Davi De Oliveira Lacerda.
The incident occurred in the 75th minute with the score still goalless. Neymar, reacting to a loose ball in the penalty area, dived to redirect it into the net using his hand. The move appeared to mimic Diego Maradona’s infamous ‘Hand of God’ goal, which the Brazilian had previously referenced when speaking about the late Argentine’s influence on his career. This time, however, it cost his team dearly.
Botafogo capitalised on their numerical advantage and scored four minutes from time to clinch the victory. The result leaves Santos 18th in the league standings, with just four wins from 11 matches. Neymar’s absence will further dent the club’s efforts to climb out of the relegation zone.
Following the match, Neymar posted an apology online, admitting fault and expressing regret. “I made a mistake, forgive me!” he wrote. “Today, if I had stayed on the pitch, I’m sure we would have gotten the three points. You can count these three points against me!” The message came amid uncertainty about his future at Santos, with his contract set to expire on June 30.
With the red card ruling him out of Thursday’s fixture against Fortaleza, Neymar will only feature again for Santos this season if he agrees to extend his stay beyond June. He rejoined his boyhood club in January after leaving Saudi side Al Hilal, hoping to regain form and fitness. Sunday’s match may prove to be his final appearance before the Brazilian league pauses for the Club World Cup in July.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
