Neymar found himself at the center of a bizarre incident and a heated dispute with referees after being mistakenly substituted during Santos' 3-0 loss to Coritiba. The situation occurred just a day before Brazil's national team manager, Carlo Ancelotti, was due to announce the squad for the upcoming World Cup, where the 34-year-old forward is hoping to secure a spot.

The confusion arose in the 65th minute when Neymar was off the field receiving medical attention after suffering a thigh injury. The fourth official raised the semaphore with Neymar's number 10, leading to Robinho Jr. entering the game instead of the intended Gonzalo Escobar, who was supposed to leave.

When Neymar tried to return to the field, he was shown a yellow card. As a sign of protest, Neymar grabbed the referee's substitution note and displayed it to the television cameras to prove that Escobar should have been substituted. Ultimately, Neymar was forced to leave the game, and he handed over the captain's armband to Escobar.

Santos Blames Fourth Referee for Mistake

The club released a statement on social media, blaming the fourth referee for the oversight. "The fourth official made a mistake during the substitution," the post reads. "This has been confirmed by television footage and the note used by the referee during the substitution. It was an inexplicable error that was not corrected."

Neymar, the all-time leading scorer for the Brazilian national team with 79 goals, has not played for the national team since 2023 due to injury issues. He recently extended his contract with Santos until the end of 2026 with the aim of securing a place on the World Cup squad.

Brazil kicks off their World Cup campaign in Canada, Mexico, and the United States on June 13 against Morocco, followed by matches against Haiti and Scotland in the group stage.