Proclaimed Brazilian star Neymar found himself at the center of a bizarre incident during a match between Santos and Coritiba. The referee's unbelievable mistake led to Neymar being forced off the pitch, despite him not being a substitute.

Santos was undergoing a complete debacle on home turf, trailing 3-0, when Neymar received medical attention alongside the touchline and awaited permission to re-enter the game. The main referee signalled him to return to the field, and it seemed the game would continue without issue. However, just seconds later, chaos ensued.

The fourth official raised the substitution board, displaying Neymar's number '10'. The head referee immediately pointed to Neymar, instructing him to leave the game, leaving the audience in disbelief. An enraged Neymar approached the scorer's table, attempting to explain that a mistake had occurred. At one point, he even took the official substitution paper and showed it directly to the cameras, hoping to prove that another player, Gonzalo Escobar, should have been the one to leave the field.

Despite this, the referee's decision remained unchanged. As Neymar tried to clarify the situation, he was further penalized with a yellow card, sparking a revolt among Santos fans and a storm of reaction on social media. Footage of his reaction quickly went viral, with many Brazilian media outlets dubbing this incident one of the strangest refereeing blunders of the season.

The situation is particularly painful for Neymar, who is trying to regain his form and secure a spot in the Brazilian national team for an upcoming major tournament. Every minute on the pitch is crucial for him.